Salvation
by LoveisHeartbreak
Summary: Being dragged into the vampire world takes a turn for the worst. Will Bella come around to love Edward or will he be left to fend for himself in a world he wasn't sure he wanted to join in the first place? AU, OOC
1. Prologue

**My second Twilight fanfiction. The roles are reversed now for Bella and Edward and they are in an entirely different situation. Will she come around to love him or will Edward be left to fend for himself in a world he never wanted to join in the first place?**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own these characters. I am learning to accept it, grudgingly.**

**This is just the prologue, so yeah it's short, chapter one is much longer. Enjoy!**

**Prologue**

My salvation came on the most unexpected day and even though I refused to believe her, she would not stop trying to convince me that she was no salvation, she was death. It sounded very wrong to hear the word death coming from such a beautiful mouth, so alive and vibrant. In the end I decided my best option would be to just shut up before she decided to leave me, taking my salvation with her. I knew of all things, if she was death that I was more than willing to follow her to that end, she is my salvation.


	2. On the Wrong Side of the Bed

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own these characters. I am learning to accept it, grudgingly.**

**Edited and re-posted 2/14/2010  
**

**Chapter 1:**** On the Wrong Side of the Bed**

The morning hadn't started out well today. I woke up late, not having time for breakfast, and my car had refused to start. As if that wasn't bad enough, walking to school took so long I missed my first class and of course we had a test today. I would be making that up today during my study hall.

I sighed probably for the sixth time in the past few minutes of reflection and my teacher glared at me again. We were _supposed _to be reading silently, I hadn't even picked up my book yet. I knew if I chose not to pick it up at all Mr. Gathr would come to reprimand me in a minute and I would look at him blankly while he babbled on about the importance of listening to my teachers. At that thought I picked up my book and stared blankly at the pages. That would placate Mr. Gathr for the time being and I let my thoughts wander again.

As I thought back to before Mr. Gathr had glared at me I knew that the rest of my day would be just like my morning had been. That was how it worked when you woke up 'on the wrong side of the bed.' I grimaced at that and worked very hard to focus on the book in front of me. The class had gone by quickly as my mind wandered and within a few minutes the bell rang making me jump. Then everyone was moving, shoving to get out the door first, a seemingly pointless gesture. What did it matter if you got out first? We were all still stuck in this hell hole of a school. I got up then, the classroom almost empty, and made my way slowly to lunch. I made it through the rest of the school day without any issues and by the time I left I had a ride home with a good friend of mine, John.

"Hey man you got your shit together?" John yelled as he rammed into me. I fell into my locker and steadied myself, rolling my eyes in his direction. "Come on man I gotta get home, my mom's gunna kill me if I'm not home in 15." I closed my locker slowly, just to see if I could get a reaction out of him but he just turned and started down the hall, expecting me to catch up. I could use a good fight but I guess he wasn't in the mood for a brawl, or he really was going to listen to his mom for once. I wondered why he would choose to do so today of all days but I let it go pretty quickly. I would be glad to get home to my empty house and play some good old Mortal Combat. That, of all things, should be safe from my bad luck day.

As I hopped up into John's open red jeep he punched me on the shoulder and then revved the engine as he sped out of the parking lot, almost hitting two sophomore girls on his way out. I could hear their angry yells as he continued to drive while laughing. It only took about 10 minutes to get to my house but that was because John was going about 30 miles per hour over the speed limit the whole way. He peeled out on my street to stop in front of my house and I hopped out glad to be free of his maniac driving.

"See ya tomorrow dude!" John yelled out from his jeep as he sped away, tires squealing. I didn't bother responding. I just moved at a steady pace towards my empty house. When I reached the front door, fishing for my key in my pocket, my eyes were drawn to something that seemed a bit off. The front door was unlocked and open. I froze immediately, my ears straining for some sound of movement, robbery or foul play. I heard nothing but the comforting sounds of the suburbia that surrounded me. It took a moment to get my body to obey the commands to move that my brain was shouting but I finally managed to lift a hand. I opened the door very, very slowly. I was careful not to make a sound as the door swung open revealing the light open space of our foyer. Everything looked normal...

I took a step inside and let my eyes sweep through the living room to my right and the kitchen to my left. Both were empty. I then focused my attention on the hallway and stairs in front of me. The stairway led to the second floor and the hallway to the right of the stairs led straight forward to the family room at the back of the house. I was grateful in that moment that our house was a little on the smaller side, it made this a less formidable situation. If this intruder had chosen to stick around they would not be able to get very far. I reached over and pulled out an umbrella from the bucket next to the door and held it in front of me. I figured I might as well check the entire first floor while I was down here and then I could move the search up to the second floor. I could feel the fear trying to constrict my lungs, making it that much harder to breath normally and focus on the task at hand. Stupid fear, stupid body.

I was sweating, my body was shaking like a leaf, and, knowing my luck today, the guy I found would probably be much bigger and have a lot more muscle then I could ever hope to have.

It surprised me then, as I stepped into the family room, to find someone sitting calmly in the big lazy boy in the corner of the room facing me with a cup of tea in her one hand, the other resting comfortably on her leg. I recovered from my initial shock and lifted up the umbrella again pointing it at her.

"Who the hell are you and why the fuck are you in my house?" She just looked at me calmly. It seemed she found no reason to fear me even though I was the one armed.

"Is that any way to address a lady?" Her voice flowed, danced through the room. It momentarily stunned me, like nothing I had ever heard before, it was like bells. I shook my head to clear it and once again focused on the intruder to my home.

"Well your the one who seems to have broken into my house, which I don't consider very lady-like Ms...." I trailed off questioningly. She smiled again.

"Touché. They call me Isabella." I was confused as to why she had said 'they call me'. Didn't she just have a regular name, like everyone else? And who was the 'they' she referred to? She must have grown impatient at my lack of answer because she interrupted my musings when she cleared her throat. My head snapped up, I really needed to learn how to focus. I had an intruder in my home and I continue to lose focus.

"Sorry." Why had I just apologized?? What was there to apologize for?? "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"

"I haven't quite decided if I am going to tell you why just now." Was her cryptic reply. I scowled. This _Isabella_ was really starting to frustrate me. She obviously wasn't interested in robbing me but then what the hell did she want?

"Well then you need to leave or I will call the police." I started to move towards her but before I could take a step the umbrella was gone and my hands were behind my back, held in an iron tight grasp that was fast becoming painful. I tried to twist around to see who was holding me but I couldn't do so without breaking something so I turned back to Isabella.

"Let's just calm down shall we?" Her voice was sweet, her tone made it seem like we were friends, and I could feel my body react to it. Stupid body, it never had the right reactions. The hold on my wrist tightened again and I winced.

"Emmett, be a dear and don't break his wrists. He's going to need them and we need him unbroken or he will be no good to us." I could hear grumbling behind me but the hold loosened, if only a little bit.

"Thanks." I spat out, the sarcasm evident in my tone. I heard a low growl behind me, undoubtably emanating from Emmett. I was pretty sure saying anything would just cause problems but apparently my bad luck was holding out today because it came out before I could stop it.

"Are you really growling at me? What are you five? I.." The hold on my wrists twisted and tightened and the pain that followed cut off my words. It was like he was trying to rip my arms off. Isabella seemed to be upset at this though.

"Emmett..." Her eyes were almost black at his disobedience and her voice sent shivers of fear down my spine. The hold loosened again.

"Please forgive me Isabella." She nodded and the anger vanished, her face once again angelic in it's beauty. She sighed then and the expression changed to one of tortured sadness. Then her eyes met mine. The pure sadness I saw there brought tears to my own eyes. In that moment I would have given anything to take away the sadness there. I would give my life, my soul, anything at all. Then the tears started to fall from my eyes, the pain was unbearable, the pain at seeing her look so sad.

"Please..." She begged softly. "I need you, I need your help or..." Her voice became strangled and she stopped talking. All I could do was nod, mute, as the tears continued to roll down my face. It took me a moment to realize she want to me to say it.

"Anything." Was all I could manage. Something changed perceptibly as soon as the word came out. It was as though the air itself shivered before my eyes and then I felt a burning, like fire around my wrists. The tears then became ones of pain. I realized then that Emmett had let me go and I ran to the kitchen. I placed my wrists under the water to no avail. I was burning and no one was going to help me. Then there was a voice. It broke through the burning, dulled it.

"Edward." It was like music, like water, doing what the real water could not. I felt my body turn and my feet brought me back to _her_. I stopped in the doorway, somehow I still knew she was the intruder, I shouldn't go near her. I watched as her eyes narrowed and she lifted one pale hand, beckoning to me.

It was as though she had physically dragged me to stand before her. I could feel the burning around my wrists, cutting into me like rope. No matter how hard I pulled I found myself in front of her. She smiled, friendly again, I shivered. This was wrong, what had happened, why couldn't I move or run?

"Emmett I think we should go now, before his parents return. Come Edward, there is much to do." As she started to walk away I could feel the burning start and I ran to catch up. The closer I got the less I burned.

"Your quick to learn." She noted and then turned from me again to leave. I looked back at the home I wasn't sure I would ever return to. With a sigh I moved to stay near her, the burning dulled again. We didn't walk very far, just a few houses down to a car parked on the street. It was a black 2011 Mazda RX-7. A car that didn't even really exist yet, or it wasn't supposed to. The windows were tinted black and when Emmett opened the back door for me to climb in I found that the interior was black leather. When he closed the door the car went dark, the only source of light coming from the windshield. I watched silently as Emmett got in the drivers side and Isabella sat shotgun.

I was finally able to study my kidnappers as we drove towards the highway. They didn't seem to pay much attention to me so I was able to stare freely. The man who had held me back in my house, Emmett, was huge. He had large bands of muscle running down his arms and he was about a foot taller than me. I could only guess at how much a machine like him must weigh. He had short cropped hair, dark brown in color.

Isabella was much smaller than her 'bodyguard' but I was one hundred percent positive she didn't actually need him as a body guard. She could take care of herself. She was about 5'5 and looked about 110 pounds. She was petite in stature but still curvy, which was accentuated by the tight fitting clothes she wore. Skinny jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, and a pair of 3 inch black heels. Simple but she looked angelic all the same. She had a heart shaped face framed by long dark brown curly hair. Her eyes though was what had enraptured me. The were like looking into the frothing waters of the sea, a deep green. It was this part of Isabella that I could not shy away from, her eyes were something I knew I could drown in, and that angered me.

I was hoping to at least get a glimpse of where we were going so if I ever got away I could tell the police about this but that hope was dashed when Isabella turned around to face me, her eyes meeting mine. Again my mind went blank, drowning in the bottomless sea of her gaze.

"Sleep Edward. I will wake you again once we arrive." Her words brought me back and I shook my head vehemently. Who did she think she was? I had control over when I slept at least? But in that moment I knew I did not. As soon as the rebellious thoughts came though I could feel the burning cut into me, stronger than ever. I cried out in pain. Then the darkness advanced. My forced sleep, my body started to slump. The last thing I saw before my eyes were forced closed was her smiling angels face.

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**Please review! Thoughts, feelings, ideas?? Hope your enjoying it!!**


	3. The Nightmare that is My Life

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight.**

**Chapter 2:**** The Nightmare that is My Life**

Even in the realm of the unconscious it seemed I would be made to see her and obey her. As soon as I fell asleep the nightmare began. Where ever I was, it was very dark. I couldn't see anything but I could feel that burning again. It circled my wrists, tight, cutting as I tried hard to not buckle under the intense pain. I couldn't focus and my breathing was fast becoming gasps. Then there were the bells again, her voice caressing my burns.

"Edward..." She whispered, her voice echoing in the darkness, "Edward..." She seemed to sigh. Then the darkness began to lift, slowly, and a soft glow lit my surroundings. I was in a cavern, the stone walls around me heavy and oppressing but my surroundings paled in comparison to what was in front of me. My eyes widened in fear, shivers running down my spine.

About 20 feet in front of me was my captor, the woman who had so deviously attached me to her that fateful day in my house. Yet she was no longer what frightened me. My captor was hanging unceremoniously from the chains surrounding her wrists and the pain of that position could only have been intensified by the shackles dragging at her feet. I wondered idly where her body guard was now but I didn't have to wonder long. He was hanging only a few feet away, in the same painful position.

I was confused as to why he didn't just break the chains surrounding his wrists, he had to be strong enough, considering the muscle he sported. I couldn't linger on that long though because my body was shifting beneath me, low growls emitting from my chest. I thought on this new emotion and realized I was angry that they had _my_ captor tied up this way. The way my body moved to protect her confused me. Why was I protecting my enemy?

I didn't get far though. As my body shifted I felt a new force on my body. I was rooted to the spot I stood in. I pushed and pulled, using everything in me to move, to step to her, to ease the burning and ease the pain she must have been in. Those bells interrupted my attempts though.

"Edward... you trying to move is only making it worse. Relax, love. Everything will be okay." Her voice soothed the burning again and that musical sound surrounded me, relaxing my muscles almost involuntarily. That was when the screaming began. I wanted so much to cover my ears but I had to find the source of the screams first. My eyes darted, wide in shock, around the room to rest on Emmett. He was writhing in agony, his body contorting under some invisible pain. I cringed in horror at the sound, the absolute torture he seemed to be experiencing. I didn't understand it.

Yet now we weren't alone. My eyes caught the swift movement at one end of the cavern and I turned to see who had come here. I wanted them to help, to make the screams stop and then I saw her. She was childlike in stature. Shrouded in a black robe with the hood up. Her face was lost in shadows of that hood for a moment before her long, pale fingers reached up to slowly pull it off. My eyes widened in fear. She was looking right at Emmett, smiling...

"Jane." I could hear Isabella whisper, a sadness tinged her voice and the heartbreaking sound of defeat made unbidden tears fill my eyes.

Then, the newcomers eyes were on me, a brilliant red color that sent the fear surging through me again. The last thing I heard was a cry of pure anguish coming from _my _Isabella. Next I knew I was on the floor, writhing in a kind of pain I had never thought possible. It felt like my entire body was on fire, being electrocuted and burnt simultaneously. That was when everything faded to black and something was burning uncomfortably into my eyelids. I could welcome this pain though. This was a normal pain, like too bright sunshine when you woke up in the morning.

I tried to open my eyes to the bright light but it hurt so much that all I could do was groan and squeeze my eyes shut to block out the sun. The dream had left me in a haze of confusion and fear. I tried so hard to let it go, to open my eyes and get ready for school, just like every other day of the week but it wouldn't be laid to rest. This nightmare was stark, the kidnapping, the torture, and the agony.

"Edward..." I froze. I couldn't possibly be awake if I was hearing that voice, that musical sigh. She was part of my nightmare, she couldn't possibly be real. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to throw my arm over my face, I had to wake up. As I tried to move my arm I realized that I couldn't and this time I braved the bright sunlight to find out what was holding me back. As my eyes eased open they were met with the unexpected normalcy of a white ceiling, maybe the same ceiling in my room. Yet I knew it couldn't be the same because of that voice.

I lifted my head cautiously to glance around at my surroundings and found out why I couldn't move. I was quick to take in the leather straps that bound my hands and feet. I was definitely on a bed but it was not mine and the room I was laying in was awfully bland, white walls and one chair near the door. I groaned, note to self, I was actually kidnapped.

"I am sorry we had to tie you up but it was... necessary." My head whipped around to where she stood and I glared at her.

"Necessary." I scoffed angrily. "It's not like I could get very fucking far considering you seem to have me chained to you through trickery." I shot at her, my tone laced with venom. I was surprised when she visibly flinched at my words. I could feel the remorse start to rise in my chest but I shoved it down, she didn't deserve it.

"I am sorry. I know that my apologies are not enough for you but if you would just let me explain... please?" Her sea green eyes looked into mine, begging my forgiveness. I could feel my mind blank again and my body started to relax. It was wrong though, she was wrong. She took me from my life, from my family, and I didn't care what her problem was, I was angry.

"No." I narrowed my eyes again and her eyes changed, her whole posture shifted. Her whole body moved so fluidly, it looked so simple yet her eyes now held me, dark, seething with the anger I had seen in them when they had been directed at Emmett in my house. My whole body shivered in fear at her gaze. Just her face alone was so ferocious, like a wild animal, wild yet completely beautiful in her anger. Like the punishing angels of God, she glared at me with rage. I watched as her whole body shifted towards me, crouching and I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing I was going to die.

After a few moments of tense silence I slowly peeked open one eye, wondering why I wasn't dead, only to find she was no longer standing in the same spot. I turned my head, opening both eyes, searching for where she may have vanished to. As I turned my head I found myself looking straight into her calm sea green eyes again. She was now crouched over me and I hadn't even felt her there. Her eyes searched mine for a long moment and then she whipped back so quickly I almost missed the movement. Yet there she was, standing on the side of the bed now, her fingers making quick work of my bonds.

"You really do bring out the worst in me. But it is more emotion then I have felt in over a century so I will have to accept it." She said with a chuckle. Her curls bounced lightly as she shook her head at her own words.

"What are you..." I cut myself off, realizing I was about to ask her what she was doing. Had I not just wanted to be untied? What the fuck was wrong with me? I knew what it was though. This confusion was her, the way she had moved, the fact that I didn't understand what she was, because she certainly wasn't human. I couldn't even decide if it was safer for me to be untied or not. What would she do to me once I was? It only took a few seconds moving, it seemed, at her preferred speed to untie my bonds and then she was gesturing me towards the door. I watched her warily but moved as she asked, waiting only brought back that cutting, burning sensation again.

"Well, well now, looks like our sleeping beauty has awakened." I froze, mostly in shock at his sudden appearance, although I knew that voice well enough to have some fear there too. My only experience with Emmett was not so great. I watched as he laughed, I supposed at the expression I had on my face in that moment. I recovered quickly and stepped aside so Isabella could exit the room.

"Yes well it's not like I _wanted_ to go to sleep in the first place." I glared at him and he tensed up, rolling onto the balls of his feet. This intrigued me. They were so different but they moved so similarly, fluidly. Emmett relaxed then, shooting me a confused glance. I realized after a moment that my glare had changed to a look of curiosity and I silently berated myself at my easy distraction, replacing my curious expression with one of indifference.

Isabella just looked between the two of us for a moment and then with an exasperated sigh she turned away, moving to another part of the strange house I found myself in. Though it was preferable to the cavern that had starred in my nightmare as I slept. I followed quickly, unwilling to subject myself to the burning anymore then necessary. It didn't take me long to figure out that we were leaving again and once we stepped outside I got a better look at where I was. To my great dismay, the house we had occupied was the only one I could see. They had literally decided to stop in the boondocks, middle of fucking nowhere. I climbed in the car of my own accord, it wasn't like anyone was around to help me anyway.

It was only once I had settled into the back seat while we drove that I realized something else and my realization made itself known to my captors too when my stomach growled loudly, the sound made worse in the confines of the small car. I grimaced and leaned forward to address Isabella. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Emmett stiffen at my sudden movement.

"Um... Isabella?" I heard Emmett chuckle and I shot him a quick glare before turning back to the non-human woman in the passenger seat. Her lips were twitched up as well but her eyes look slightly frustrated and... conflicted...? After a moment she relaxed and turned all the way around to face me, her eyes meeting mine. She looked almost hesitant, which I didn't understand.

"Please, call me Bella." She whispered. At this Emmett hissed and out of the corner of my eye I saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. He was staring at her then, in shock, anger, and if I wasn't mistaken, there was some hurt there too. He opened his mouth to protest but it died on his lips as she glared at him. I watched him swallow his protests and focus glumly on the road ahead of us.

"Okay... Bella... Did you guys bring food because I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday and I am starving." I stuttered over her name, and Emmett flinched when I said it. I was definitely a little confused as to why it was such a big deal to him. I kept my eyes on her though and her lips curved upward again at my words.

"Well actually... you slept for two days so I am surprised you did not wake up hungry." I gaped at her for a moment. _Two days..._ I wondered what my parents thought of my disappearance. I flinched away from those thoughts though, the pain I must be causing them. It hurt much too much to dwell on. Bella seemed confused with my reaction but she shrugged it off and turned back around, opened up the glove compartment, and turned back to me with a plastic bag. I grabbed it quickly and sat back to eat in peace.

They had pretty much covered the bases on food. There were sandwiches, chips, several kinds of fruit, and two sodas. It was a well rounded lunch if I ever saw one. I munched happily for a while, listening to the soft piano notes that floated around the car. I wouldn't have taken this pair as the classical type but I enjoyed it none the less. Half way through lunch I remembered what I had been thinking about before Bella had forced my two day sleep on me.

"So... where are we going?" I asked quietly, leaning forward to make sure they heard me. Emmett stiffened again, this time at my question, and Bella grimaced but turned reluctantly to face me.

"Are you going to actually listen to me this time?" She inquired, a hint of bitterness in her tone. I nodded, feeling somewhat apologetic for my earlier behavior, but only somewhat. She was the one who _kidnapped _me after all. She smiled at my agreement and turned to sit backward in her chair, facing me, with her back resting on the glove compartment. It didn't look too comfortable but she didn't seem to mind so I placed my elbows on both front seats and rested my chin on my hands as she began.

"Well... I cannot tell you much on the history of my decision to come find you." I sighed, she was already frustrating me.

"Patience please." She whisper and I let my expression drift into something more polite. She took a deep breath and plowed on.

"I can tell you that if I had not come to get you that you would be dead, or worse, being tortured in some dark underground cavern." I had to gape at her there, the starring place of my nightmare and there had been a lot of torture going on.

"Well if it happens to involve that Jane girl then I owe you big time, I have never felt anything quite like that." I shuddered as the memory resurfaced. The car had become absolutely silent, even the music was gone and I opened my eyes warily. I had said something wrong.

"What did you say?" She looked as though she was going into full out panic mode. She knew Jane and I could guess why this would frighten her. I tried to explain.

"Well.. see... I was dreaming, well it was more like a nightmare. We were underground, you and Emmett were chained up and I was, for some reason, stuck to the floor. Then there was a girl and you said her name was Jane and Emmett was screaming and then she looked at me and I thought I was dying. Then I woke up." The entire explanation came out in a breathless rush but it seemed to calm her somewhat and I could relax again.

She sat, completely still, statuesque really for about 30 minutes. I could tell, as the minutes passed, that Emmett was becoming more and more agitated at her silence. I was glad that she snapped out of it when she did or I was sure he would have starting having his own full blown panic attack and I wasn't too fond of that idea considering he was driving. I didn't much feel like dying today.

"Emmett, please calm down." Was the first thing out of her mouth as she finally stirred. I watched as he visibly relaxed at her words. He did absolutely anything and everything she asked. Then her eyes were thoughtful again. They flickered to me and away. As she contemplated I just waited, listening to the restarted music and enjoying the purr of the cars engine. They did have a _really _nice car.

By the time she looked back at me I was seriously considering a real nap. The food, the music, and the purr of the motor were lulling back to sleep even after two days of rest.

"Edward I need you to tell me about your nightmare. Everything from start to finish. I need to know how you were feeling, what was said, and every detail you noticed." She paused for a moment as she brought me out of my stupor with her musical voice and then seemed to realize something. "Please?"

How could I say no to that. I mean she could have just ordered me to do it and I wouldn't have had a choice. She was giving me my choice. I smiled at that and then nodded at her. I took deep calming breaths for a moment and gathered my thoughts and memories of my nightmare. Then I just spilled it all. I gave her every last detail I could remember, even the one where I had called her _my _Isabella. That was embarrassing but I let it go, it had been a nightmare after all.

It took me about a half hour to comb through the entire nightmare, giving her all the emotions and details. Once I finished she nodded and went back into her thoughtful mode. I gave up then on staying awake and stretched out in the back seat, letting my eyes slowly close. I was immensely grateful that it was completely my choice to sleep and as I fell asleep I realized that I had never gotten an explanation as to where we were going but I was too tired to care. I figured that story could wait until I awoke again. She obviously had a lot to think about as it was. Then I was drifting, sleep claimed me quickly and all was dark.

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**I know, I know... two chapters ending in sleep... sorry... guess that is just where it ended up. At least it was voluntary this time. Review? please? :)**


	4. Reception

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own these characters. One can dream though...**

**Chapter 3:**** Reception**

It was dark when the world seemed to start turning again. I had slept without nightmares or dreams, dead to the world. I didn't sit up yet though, I was enjoying, for the moment, the lack of burning around my wrists. It was a nice change, I suppose since she believed me asleep the need to please her, obey her, faded. As I lay there, my eyes tightly closed, I heard a voice, Emmett's if I wasn't mistaken. His voice was low but urgent.

"Isabella?" She must not have been looking at him because I could hear a shift in the seat and then her voice.

"Yes Emmett?" Maybe he chickened out then on whatever he had wanted to say because he didn't say anything. I was going to return to my previous thoughts when his voice interrupted them again.

"Are you sure about this? Him calling you...? You never... I just..." He didn't seem to be able to complete a sentence. Apparently this first name basis thing was a big deal to him.

"Emmett I know this is new but I know what I am doing. It may be hard for you to understand but I have to be able to trust him. I appreciate your concern and I know it is not normal with humans but there is something different about him. You know as well as I do that he wont be staying human for long."

"I know this... but the Voltu-" something seemed to cut him off and I almost sat up out of curiosity. I wanted to ask what he was about to say. The silence stretched on and I slid my eyes open slowly only to be greeted by a pair of excessively interested sea green eyes. My first thought was to apologize but I held my tongue and rubbed my eyes to break from her gaze.

"You know... it is rude to eaves drop." Her voice was soft, angelic. I could feel the tips of my ears darken at my embarrassment of having been caught in the act. It was so easy to know when something embarrassed me, I always turned red, always. It made it impossible to hide anything.

"S'rry." I mumbled as I pulled my hands away and sat up, being careful not to look directly into her eyes again. She leaned back against the glove compartment, like she had earlier and I remembered that I didn't know how long I'd slept.

"So... how long was I out for?" I looked over at Emmett, wondering how long he had been driving and if they had switched off at all so he could sleep.

"About 3 hours." I stared at her surprised which was definitely a bad choice. Her gaze met mine holding me captive again. I sighed in frustration, this was going to get annoying after a while.

"We will be arriving shortly so would you like me to tell you where we are going, seeing as how I cut that conversation short earlier?" Now this was a conversation I was interested in. She seemed to take my expression as a yes and she gestured for me to find my own comfortable position. I balanced my elbows on the front two seat, clasped my fingers together and rested my chin there facing her.

"Alright... well I believe we left off on you being dead if we had not come to get you when we did. There is a very powerful group out to kill you right now and we," she pointed to herself and Emmett, "know why. We also know how to stop them, with your help of course." I was starting to get annoyed, she was being so cryptic. Some group wanted me dead, they were helping me, and I had to help somehow. I felt so enlightened... not.

"Please just listen," she seemed adamant on giving me the choice so I worked to look indifferent instead of annoyed. She smiled, it was warm and soft on her face, and my breath caught. She was beautiful there was no doubt about that.

"I am sorry that I can't tell you any more about the history of this _kidnapping_ but I will tell you that right now we are headed to my home. It will be safest for you there. I believe you understand why I can't tell you where it is exactly. It would be only too easy for your pursuers to get that information out of you, you have some experience of Jane in action. At least in theory you do. She belongs with them." I shuddered at that thought. The pain her gaze seemed to inflict was something I was positive I never wanted to experience again, even subconsciously. It seemed that was not the only place we were headed though because Bella continued speaking.

"Yes well I can see why your reaction would be fear, Jane is, no doubt, something to be feared. We wont be staying there long mind you. Only a few days will be spent there and then we will leave to seek out an old friend of mine." I was still confused but at least I had been given some information on what the hell was going on right now. It was then that I remembered something she had said.

"I'm sorry but you said that they were going to kill me... which means they know where I live... Bella, what about my family? What about my little sister and my parents?" _Please tell me you didn't leave them there to be killed in my stead._ I flinched as the word killed rolled through my thoughts, and it would be all my fault, their blood on my hands. I was startled out of my panic by Emmett responding to my question.

"Alice called the day we came to your house. She said that they would not go after your family, they are safe although I'll bet their worried about you. Once they got wind of your disappearance your home no longer held any interest to them. They'll be safe Edward." I didn't know who the hell Alice was but I was a bit shocked at his words. He had used my name and he sounded just as worried about my family as I was. Well maybe not that much but I was surprised he cared at all.

"Well..." my voice sounded skeptical in my own ears so I kept going before they could take it the wrong way, "I don't know who Alice is but as long as your sure they're safe." I glanced over at Bella again and she looked conflicted again. I could feel the questions pushing to be asked but I kept quiet. She seemed to make up her mind very quickly though, after a minute she was smiling at me again.

"Alice is my sister." Emmett looked panicked again, I almost laughed aloud at his expression but thought better of it. I still didn't know them at all and I didn't know how he would react. Although his reaction gave me a clue that maybe I shouldn't know that Alice was Bella's sister.

This was the second time he had looked shocked at her words, for the most part he seemed to do everything she said and go along with what she said too. Yet when ever she gave out any kind of personal information he looked shocked and confused, mostly confused. I gathered this wasn't her normal behavior with the people they kidnapped.

Well I couldn't really say they kidnapped people often, just me, just my luck. Bella was watching me now and Emmett was staring, eyes narrowed, out the windshield.

"I suppose that does not help you much as far as an explanation," Bella commented quietly. Emmett looked murderous but he didn't say a word, "Alice is my sister, in theory, and she can see the future." It was my turn to look shocked and confused. I didn't understand these people at all, was her whole family not human and why was Alice only her sister in theory?

"I don't... she can... is she like you? Not human, I mean? Can you see the future?" I knew I needed to stop and wait for answers but I had so many questions and I could only hold them back for so long. Her musical laugh filled the car and Emmett flinched.

"Well yes she is like me, I am sure my little display alerted you to our differences," she pointed between the two of us, "and no I cannot see the future, you are already experiencing my gift." I felt my wrists burn a bit then and I winced. She sighed and I looked back at her again, she looked upset.

"I do not like using my gift this way, though it is useful. It can be used in a much less painful way but I did not want to have Emmett carry you out of the house, it would not have helped protect your family if anyone saw us dragging you away." Her voice was saturated in apology but I knew how easily she could lie. She had done it before, that is what had gotten me into this mess.

"Can you make it go away then, I mean if I chose to stay with you guys would you take the burning away?" She looked up at me with troubled eyes. I was pretty sure that gave me my answer, they did not trust me not to run away. I suppose I agreed with that, although with her speed I was positive I couldn't run fast enough to get away.

As I contemplated it seemed we had driven off the highway and into the forest around us. We drove for another ten minutes or so and then Emmett whipped the car into a practically invisible driveway. I wasn't even sure how he could have seen that entrance but I didn't linger on that long.

He drove, winding too fast, for a few miles and then the trees broke outward into a large clearing. Clearly their family was supernatural and rich. They lived in a mansion, the house was huge and open with huge bay windows in front. I couldn't decide what to make of this quite yet.

"Who are you people?" My voice was incredulous and Bella chuckled. Maybe the better question was, what were they? I sighed, at some point I would get my answer. Bella seemed to be pretty adamant on me being non human at some point too. I didn't like that idea at all. I had my family after all, my little sister. Didn't I have a choice in the matter?

"Alright, time to go." The burning flared, surprising me, and before I could bite it back I yelped. Emmett looked at me with confusion in his eyes but as soon as he saw the pain twisting my face the confusion vanished and he just laughed.

"Tough luck man." I just growled at him and hurried to get out of the car and as close to Bella as I could to ease the burning. It was hard to pay attention to my surroundings with the pain overriding everything. Bella took one look at me and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Shoot," the burning lessened considerably, "Sorry about that. I do not use this part of my gift much, it slips my mind." I rolled my eyes as she apologized.

"Thanks so much." I immediately regretted the sarcasm though as the hurt flitted across her face before she could hide her expression. She moved away from me then and started towards the house. Emmett just glared at me, so I hurried to stay close. Apparently accidently hurting her would be good enough cause to hurt me.

The house was beautiful, open and inviting but that wasn't really what caught my attention. When we walked in another girl, well more of a woman, joined us. She looked like a woman who would be found on the cover of a Sports Illustrated magazine.

She was a little taller then Emmett, with blond hair gently waving to the middle of her back. She was in a pair of impossibly high heels and her clothes only accentuated her beauty although I was certain she could have worn dish rags and pulled it off. I wasn't quite sure she could even be real. As she approached Emmett threw his arms around her and kissed her hard on her perfect full mouth.

I was surprised at the passion they seemed to have for one another and I had to look away in embarrassment. I looked over at Bella who was looking at me, she didn't seem to thrilled at their actions either.

"Is that Alice?" I whispered. She chuckled and I heard Emmett's booming laugh behind me. I turned to look and froze in my tracks. Emmett's girlfriend, wife?, was glaring at me balefully. The phrase if looks could kill ran through my mind and that gaze was enough to make me want to run from the house but as soon as that idea popped up my wrist started to burn and I was able to break her death glare. I shuddered involuntarily and looked back at Bella.

"That," she looked pointedly at the woman behind me, "is Rosalie, Emmett's wife. Rosalie would you please stop glaring at Edward? He had no way of knowing who you are." I didn't bother to look behind me on the off chance she had decided to keep glaring.

"Stupid human." I heard her mutter.

"Aw babe, come on! He doesn't know any better. Come on, lets go hunt, it's been too long." I didn't hear any movement but when I looked back they were gone, vanished without a sound. That was disconcerting, I shook my head and turned back to Bella again. She smiled and turned towards a door to the right of the entrance.

As we stepped through there was another invisible flurry of movement and Bella was being mauled by a streak of black. I moved out of the way against the wall, out of the way of whatever had decided to try and knock over my captor. It took me a moment to realize the blur had been a person and she was tiny.

She had to be under 5 feet, pale, like all the others and she had short, spiky black hair that stuck out everywhere. Though it still framed her face perfectly. Why were they all so perfect looking? It confused me. She was practically bouncing to much to properly hug Bella and her antics made me chuckle.

That got her attention. When she caught me gazing at her she bounded over. I tried to step back but unfortunately I had planted myself against a wall.

"Hi! I'm Alice! You must be Edward! Oh I have been waiting for you to arrive for so long!" She was looked like she wanted to hug me but seemed to settle on more bouncing.

Bella was there then, placing a calming hand on Alice's shoulder.

"So your the fortune teller?" I asked outright. Alice froze then and Bella gave me a reproving look. I shrugged. She seemed to recover rather quickly though because in a moment she was bouncing again.

"Yep! I'm the reason they came to get you." She smiled enthusiastically. I was pretty sure my sarcasm wouldn't be a good idea here so I just kept my mouth shut. I had already hurt one person and angered another within the last ten minutes.

"Jasper come say hello to Edward!" Alice called in a singsong voice. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella tense. I felt my body react to that by freezing as well. Alice just laughed again.

"Oh don't worry silly! He wont hurt him." She tapped her forehead and winked at Bella. That seemed to relax her a bit but I couldn't bring myself to do the same. I stared the door to another room as it swung open and a tall blond male stepped into the room. He let the door close behind him but he didn't move any farther into the room.

Alice bounded to his side and slid her arms around his waist. The look and smile he gave her told me all I need to know. Another couple. Where was Bella's boyfriend or husband? They all seemed to be paired up so far. I squashed that idea pretty quickly though, for some reason my mind didn't like the idea of her being taken.

I decided it was merely because I didn't want to be in danger of being attacked by anyone else should I upset her. I refused to look any farther into it then that. My eyes flickered to Bella and she was watching Jasper, she had shifted during my contemplations. She was now standing relaxed in front of me, as though to act as a shield.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Jasper said, his voice was formal but it had the hint of a southern accent in it.

"Yeah, well nice to meet you to." I was pretty sure shaking hands would not be happening with this particular acquaintance. Alice was still watching Jasper as we spoke and once the quick introduction was done she was tugging on his hand to go to the other room.

"We'll see you tonight Bella." She chirped and then they were gone. This seemed to relax her and she turned to face me now, her face calm.

"Let me show you up to your room." She moved then back to the door that led to the open room of the entrance to the house and beckoned for me to follow. The burning flickered and then faded at her gesture.

"I have a room here?" I couldn't disguise the surprise in my voice and she laughed at my reaction but it didn't seem to warrant a response from her, she just kept walking leading me upstairs into a large white hallway, doors branching off on both sides.

We didn't stay on the second floor though. She moved swiftly to the end of the hall and I followed her up another flight of stairs to another, shorter, hallway. There were three doors here, two on either side of the stairs and one straight ahead. She turned to the right and opened the door. There was no sun entering this room but before I could search for a light she was on the opposite side of the room opening the curtains.

The room lit up to reveal a black and white theme, perfect for my tastes and there was a king size bed in the center of the room. If I wasn't careful I would be dangerously close to enjoying my time here.

"What do you think?" She moved again as she spoke, blurring to a stop next to me.

"That's going to take some getting used to." I commented, looking into her eyes again. Of course I only realized this was a bad idea once I had already done it. Once again I couldn't look away and now that we were alone the tension between us was not the same. It was like electricity was flowing between us and it caught me by surprise.

I tore my gaze away with some effort and she sighed.

"Sorry, I can move at your pace if it bothers you." I shook my head no but responded as well just in case she wasn't looking.

"No, it's really intersting and all, it doesn't bother me, it just might take me some time to get accustomed to it that's all." She stepped away from me then, turning towards the door, I turned to watch her.

"Well alright. Carlisle and Esme will be home soon and we will be meeting, all of us together once they arrive. There are clothes in the dresser if you have any interest in changing and cleaning up. Please meet me downstairs in an hour." She blurred again as she vanished out the door and I took a steadying breath before moving farther into my new room.

Again she hadn't explained who these people were but I let it go. I would meet them soon enough. I was glad she had reminded me about changing and cleaning up. With everything that had happened I had forgotten about a most basic need. I didn't bother really studying my new room. After all she had said we wouldn't be staying long.

I walked over to the dresser then and opened the drawer to find some clean clothes and a towel to use after my much needed shower.

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	5. MinorDisagreements&HierarchyRevelations

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own these characters. But I do like to play with them.**

**An update on Christmas! :) Enjoy.**

**Chapter 4:**** Minor Disagreements and Hierarchy Revelations**

It didn't take long for me to be clean again and head downstairs to find Bella. I hadn't expected to feel anything but clean after my shower and change of clothes yet a feeling of relief also seemed to flood my body. I suppose it was the normalcy of a shower and new clothes that had me more relaxed then I had been since the kidnapping.

I didn't pass anyone on the way downstairs but as I reached the bottom of the steps I found myself interrupting a rather curious scene, which vanished the moment I was spotted. I guessed the two new people in the room to be Carlisle and Esme, the two people I was supposed to meet. Then there was the rest of the family sitting on various couches. Before I had been spotted though the new male, Carlisle, had been speaking to Bella, too low for me to hear, while the rest of the family merely watched. Bella's expression though, was what had caught my attention, it was an odd mixture of anger and chagrin.

Who were these new people to humble such a woman? It surprised me, I had begun to think she was the queen bee of this family and yet here she had been looking like a child being scolded. I shook my head and tried to focus on what was going on in the room in front of me. My curiosity was running away with me, as it always seemed to do with these people.

Finally paying attention to my surroundings didn't do me any good though. They were all staring at me with expressions ranging from excitement to calm indifference to open hostility.

"I'm sorry..." I offered, "I didn't mean to interrupt." Things seem to relax then and everyone turned back to the new additions in the house. I wasn't sure what to do but I didn't have to wonder long. Bella had never turned away from me and when my eyes met hers she beckoned me forward. The burning was not so intense at this but I was sure this was because I had every intention of doing whatever she asked if it kept the burning at bay.

"Edward, I would like you to meet my parents, Carlisle and Esme." Her parents or were they her parents in theory like her siblings? Well that changed things considerably and explained why Carlisle had been the lecturer only a moment before. They were the king and queen of this family. Carlsile merely nodded in my direction with a 'nice to meet you' but Esme caught me entirely off guard by moving to stand in front of me and hugging me.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you. We tried to return before you arrived but we were delayed. Are you hungry? I can make you something in the kitchen." I wasn't quite sure how to respond to kindness, it had me just as confused as Alice's forward remarks had made me. She laughed at my speechless state and, without an answer, headed towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to make you dinner!" She called over her shoulder as the door swung shut behind her.

"I- really that's not necess-" I tried to dissuade her, raising my voice a bit so she could hear me. Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett chuckled as Esme cut me off.

"Nonsense! If you don't eat it now you can eat it later." I sighed and let it go. Apparently having no appetite meant nothing to her. I would have to try to eat it later.

"Come take a seat." Bella coaxed me out of my thoughts again and the burning intensified slightly at the time it took for me to follow her order. I rubbed my wrists, as if that could ease the sensation, and her expression grew worried.

"I'm sorry, please come sit down." she corrected herself quickly. Carlisle looked back and forth between the two of us for a moment and then seemed to decide to focus on me.

"So Edward. Bella informs me you have some small inkling as to why your here?" I nodded in affirmation, a _very_ small inkling. Carlisle looked somewhat relieved at that but he started pacing all the same. His hands clasped behind his back and his eyes turned to the floor as he thought on one thing or another. As he paced I had more time to look him over.

He was rather handsome and tall. He had a very proper posture, as though he'd grown up in an different era. The logical explanation would be that he came from a rather old fashioned family but I was fairly sure nothing about this family would be logical. The shock of blond that adorned his head only added to his looks and accentuated the piercing blue of his eyes. Those eyes were what made him formidable to me, it was as though they could see right through me. After a few minutes of pacing he turned back to me.

"Edward, it seems Isabella" I could see Bella flinch a bit at the pronunciation of her full name, "and I are at odds with what to do with you. I thought maybe you should know, since all of this has to do with you. Bella?" He turned to her and she, for the second time, looked rather ashamed as she stood in front of her family.

She took a few deep breaths and then launched into her ideas.

"Because the Volturi are after you and will not rest until they have found you, I believe you should be changed. It would help you drop off the map and when they do come after you, you can adequately defend yourself." For all she was trying to explain I was more confused then when she'd started.

"Changed? Into what you are? And are the Volturi the people that were in my dream?" More than one pair of eyes widened at my assertion but Bella just smiled sadly and nodded. She was absolutely frustrating. Just because she thought it was best she wanted to change me into whatever she was, which I didn't even understand, except the speed and whatever weird power she had over me. When did I get to make the choice about my own life? Her smile faded as I fumed and her expression changed to one of shame again.

"W-well," she stuttered and then she looked at Carlisle, her expression pleading. I looked at him too and he motioned for Bella to sit back down.

"Edward, we are still undecided on if we should tell you what we are. The only reason we consider it is because the Volturi are already after you so there is no new danger in telling you, except to us. We were just about to take a vote on the matter when you came downstairs. Would it be okay with you if we did that now?" Esme came in the door then with a plate of food. She handed it to me with a smile. I stood with it and took a step towards the kitchen, her smile faded into a confused look.

"I can eat in the kitchen well you guys decide," I started for the door, "and thank you for the food Esme. That was very kind of you, it smells great." I pushed through the door then into the dining room and crossed the short space into what I supposed was the kitchen.

I had to stop for a moment once I stepped inside though. It was beautiful, just like everything else in their house and everything was absolutely state of the art. Yet as I moved farther into the room and pulled out the stool at the breakfast bar I started to get the feeling that even though it was so modern, it was rarely used.

I shook my head while mentally smacking myself for being so curious and nosy. This wasn't my family to butt into. Although, in all fairness, they had kidnapped me and destroyed my whole life without even asking. Even if it was to save my life. Well, even if the kitchen wasn't used much, Esme could definitely cook well.

If I had complimented her on how it smelled, that was nothing on how it tasted. This was quite literally the best thing I had ever eaten. She had made something so simple too, garlic roasted chicken with spagetti and, if I wasn't mistaken, a homemade marinara sauce. Of course I didn't have much to compare it to. Every other night was pizza night at my house, with my parents both working there wasn't much time for home cooked meals.

Of course whatever was made at home came straight from cans and boxes. Nothing ever came fresh, we couldn't afford fresh, even with both my parents working. It seemed with Esme's good cooking and sitting on my own, my appetite had returned. I fairly scarfed down what she had given me, burning my tongue in the process.

As soon as I set my fork down I sat back to study the kitchen again and almost had a heart attack.

"Holy fuck! Where did you... I..." I growled angrily at the pixie standing in front of me. Her answer laugh only annoyed me more.

"You humans have such awful hearing." she chirped with a grin. I felt my eyes widen at her concession. I mean I knew but no one had ever out right called me a human to my face, as if to point out the differences. I opened and closed my mouth a few times but before I could speak she started bouncing towards the door.

"Well since you seem to be mute, we are waiting for you in the living room, come join us!" she lowered her voice and continued, "and as an early preview, we decided to tell you what we are." I stood up, dumbfounded, and followed her in silence. The only thing that registered on a happy note for me was the lack of burning at her words. It meant more than she could ever know.

Reentering the room was much more awkward than leaving. At least it was for me. Every one of the supernatural family members were watching us as we moved to our respectable chairs and most looked rather content, Rosalie looked furious and Carlisle looked rather disappointed. Nothing was said for a few moments unti Carlisle stood in front of his family once again.

"We have chosen, by way of majority, to explain to you what we are but you must promise to never tell another soul or they too will be endangered by the Volturi." I nodded in agreement to this. It wasn't like I had anyone to tell, I was stuck in captivity currently and would probably be one of them soon since I doubted they would be giving me a choice in the matter.

"From what I gather, you have already witnessed our speed and you know of or have experienced some of the powers we have. The simplest way to explain this would be to give you the staple of our diet. Most humans would name us blood-drinkers, vampires." A few of the family members chuckled at the clique word but I froze on the spot.

That can't be right. I had thought of everything, all the super heroes that I might have been able to accept as real or scientifically plausible, but vampires were myth. They were in books like Bram Stokers Dracula or in movies like Blade. Vampires didn't exist and they certainly never looked normal, didn't live like normal people. Where were the crypts and creepy castles? If they were blood drinkers why was I still alive, why were they trying to save me? I had to wake up, none of this was right. It had to be a dream. No, a nightmare.

"I... have to go..." I managed in a daze, "this is a dream... no a nightmare... I'll wake up... I can leave... it's my subconscious..." I trailed off as I moved to the door slowly and pulled on my shoes, not really seeing anything. I heard a voice whisper then, it was Bella's.

"Jasper." was all that was said and then I couldn't hear either. Everything went black.

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My hearing came back first once I regained consciousness. I refused to open my eyes. It had all been so real and yet supernatural. There had been Bella and Emmett and the revelation that they were vampires. That's when I was sure I was dreaming, even if I don't remember falling asleep. None of that could have been real. I'm not sure how long I laid there, afraid to open my eyes to the black and white theme that had been the room in my dreams, but before my curiosity made me open my eyes a door opened to my right.

I squeezed my eyes tighter together. No no no no no, my door to my bedroom was on the left of my bed. I had to be wrong, this couldn't be real.

"Edward?" Her voice whispered, musical and perfect into my ears.

"No no no no n-" my denial choked off with a sob. This isn't right. I am home with my family. With my baby sister.

"Edward please, look at me?" That musical voice broke at the end, giving away the pain laced underneath and my eyes were open and gazing into bright green teary-eyed ones. I was always too late to stop myself. This was so wrong, impossible, and I couldn't stop it, ever. She sighed in relief yet I felt none of it. The only feeling invading my mind and body was despair as it tugged me towards the darkness that was creeping up on me again.

"I'm so... tired... why does this have to be my life? I just want to be normal. Live like a teenager and be with my little sister as she grows." I tried to raise my voice to a normal level but all that came out was a barely audible whisper. I never asked for this to happen to me. Why did this Volturi group want me anyway? If I was going to do this I needed all the answers.

"I wish it was different, I do. We just want to help protect you from them but we have to figure out what they want first, why have they chosen you?" Her expression changed to confusion. They didn't know much more than he did. I sat up slowly, my body protesting my movements.

"Bella, how long have I been asleep for and why did I fall asleep in the first place?" Her expression changed again, although this time to a happier emotion. She looked like she was enjoying a rather entertaining inside joke.

"Well... you have been unconscious for about fifteen hours and Jasper was the one who made you unconscious. He- well Jasper can influence emotions or feelings. So he made you very tired and you passed out. You haven't moved since you blacked out. We were a little worried Jasper had over done it." My curiosity spiked then, pushing out my previous worries for a short moment.

"Does your entire family have gifts?" I inquired, whispering again. My voice was not working well today. Bella held my gaze as she moved slowly, placing her hands on the bed first before coming to sit in front of my on the black conforter. I moved back just a bit, not sure how comfortable I could be sitting so close to a self proclaimed vampire. Her face fell a bit but she covered it up rather quickly and I was too frustrated with all of them to bring myself to care in that moment.

"We consider them more like strengths but yes we all have them. When we... changed into what we are now the strongest part of our personalities or physical skills came with us and were amplified into what they are now. It seems that everything was amplified for us. You have seen the speed but once you change everything is enhanced; our eyesight is a hundred times better than any human." Her voice was quiet, maybe so she was trying not to scare me into a comatose state again. It was good to have her be honest though. I decided that now would be the best time to make my demands.

"Listen, if I'm going to go along with this or even pretend to be okay with it I need to know everything that you guys know. Who are Volturi? What were you planning on doing with me? What do they want from me? Why am I not dead? Why is your family trying to save me? I need to know everything. Is your family still here?" Bella held up her hands in surrender at my barrage of questions but I refused to stop until I had asked them all. I was tired of not knowing what was going on.

"Yes they are all still here and we will explain everything as soon as you are ready to come back downstairs without trying to walk out. We do not want to have to put you in a catatonic state again." she sounded stern as though she were chastising a child but her lips twitched up into a small smile as she spoke. She was right though. I needed to be calm and accepting. I just had to let go of what would be considered logical because at this point if I wanted to know what was going on I had to be calm and listen.

Plus, if this all was a dream then there was no reason I shouldn't just hang around some mythical creatures for a week. I would leave whenever I woke up. That of course made the most sense if I was going to even consider acting normal in this situation. I had to convince myself it was all a nightmarish dream, at least with that I could be indifferent about the situation. I would have to be careful when it came to this whole changing business.

I didn't want to wake up and different then how I went to sleep. I watched as Bella blurred from the bed to the door in the matter of a second and turned to look back at me as she spoke.

"We will be downstairs whenever your ready." She shut the door when she disappeared into the hallway. It would have been rather interesting to see how they moved all together when I wasn't around. I was curious to see how that would look, blurs of color moving all around the house.

I sat there for a little while longer, solidifying my dream/nightmare theory and letting my brain mull over the vampire concept in that setting. It was much easier to deal with when I put it in dream perspective because there anything could happen. I knew that at some point I would have to deal with the fact that maybe I wasn't asleep but for now I needed answers not hours spent thinking out this new development, especially if this whole situation had to do with me. The way Bella made it sound, if they ever caught me, I would be dead rather quickly after they got what they wanted out of me.

I slid off the bed after that and moved out the door and into the hallway. The house was silent as always. This time though, I knew what was waiting for me downstairs. It was somewhat comforting not having everything be shrouded in mystery and knowing that more would be revealed within the next few minutes.

This time when I made it to the bottom of the stairs I didn't interrupt anything. The family, in theory, was scattered about the room. Carlisle and Esme were reading while Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were watching the television and then there was Alice and Bella who were off to one side of the room on the floor playing chess. I would have been distracted with their playing if not for Carlisle setting down is book and the rest of the family stopping their separate activities to gather again.

Now was clearly not the time to be distracted by chess, now was the time for explanations.

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**Questions, comments, concerns? Reviews? :) Hope you liked it.**


	6. Green Eyes Vs Black Eyes

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight... gets kind of repetitive doesn't it?**

**Chapter 5:**** Green Eyes Vs. Black Eyes**

"Okay let me get this straight..." I sat back from my tense position and took a deep breath, it was a lot to take in, " The Volturi, the sort of royalty of your kind, is after me for something and Alice saw them coming for me. With that information you all decided," Rosalie bristled a bit at that but I didn't take back the words, "to come kidnap me to save my life and some of you," I glanced at Bella out of the corner of my eye, "want me to become one of you so I can fight them? And on top of that I am having weird dreams that may or may not be showing me bits and pieces of my future? Am I missing anything here?"

None of the strange family sitting around me said a word and I sighed in frustration. They didn't know what this Volturi royalty wanted from me and neither did I but I did know that my choice would not be to become one of them. I had my sister and my parents to go home to, along with school. No matter how much I had hated it before, I would never take it for granted again because at least that was normal.

"Edward there is more..." My head snapped up to meet her gaze as she cut into my thoughts. As like every other time I found myself stuck drowning there in her gaze until she chose to look away. My eyes widened as I realized what she meant. So besides this group trying to kill me what else could they possibly throw at me? Bella mere watched me for a moment before taking my silence as a means to continue.

"I would like to take you with me to see an old friend of mine. He may have the answers we are looking for seeing as he worked for the Volturi for so long. He is also gifted with the ability to see the gifts of other, whether they are human or otherwise." I just stared at her incredulously for a moment before I was able to pull myself back together enough for a response and just like that something snapped. I stood up rather quickly and a few of the vampires, namely Rosalie, tensed at my unexpected action.

"Okay so let's just drag me along to some other _vampire_ who also worked for the people searching to kill me! Yeah that's fantastic! What are you out of your minds? Why don't we just tie me up and serve me to them on a platter! And then you tell me that through all of this you want me to be one of you! Become some _creature of the night_ and not be concerned at all for the well being of my baby sister or my family who is currently worried sick about me!" I sucked in a deep breath before tearing into her again. My anger was unchecked and rampant after everything that had happened.

"Fuck this, I am so done with all of this bull shit! I'm exhausted and have been thrust into a world I am absolutely not willing to be apart of full of supernatural creatures who murder innocent people! You cannot hold me here against my will so take me home!" The need to be violent almost over took all other feelings in that moment, all I could see was red as my anger grew in intensity. This was not the place for me and all their stories had to stop. I didn't care of I was dreaming or not I had better either wake up or they had better take me home because I was done. I had turned from Bella in my ranting to glare at the rest of the group and just spew my anger. I could see Esme flinch as I yelled and stomped around and I almost felt bad for yelling at her specifically.

She had been nothing but nice to me since I walked in and she had made me dinner. Something no one else had even thought of. I made the conscious choice then to walk away before I caused anymore damage with my temper. As I made my way, fuming, towards the stairs a voice rang out behind me full of anger to match, maybe even surpass, my own.

"Edward. Stop." The sudden pain surrounding the already sensitive skin around my wrist was almost enough to send me to my knees. The anger fueled me a few more steps though before the pain increased again and I vaguely felt my knees hit the carpet at the bottom of the stairs. I doubled over and covered my wrists as my body writhed against the pain. Why did she choose such torture to inflict upon me? I could feel the tears as they slid down my face and dripped onto the clean carpet right below me.

All I could feel was the pain for what felt like eternity, it was burning through all my senses and I cried out to please make it stop. I could hear the gasping cries coming from my own body but no other sound reached my ears. My cries slowly lessened to gasps as I tried to force my body to accept the pain. The next thing I felt was cool fingers lifting my head up.

My eyes widened as the pain intensified again and my gaze was met with a pair of stormy black ones. The anger emanating from her was palpable and my body shivered in reaction to it while the pain kept me doubled over. My eyes were drawn downward from her powerful gaze as her lips began to move but no sound reached my ears.

All my mind could process was the way in which those lips moved and the way in which my wrists continued to burn. I wanted to beg and plead for the goddess in front of me to please please lessen the pain. I would do anything she asked if she would only take it away. I opened my mouth but no words seemed to find there way out. I tried to swallow but it didn't help much.

"Please..." my voice rasped out, I winced at the sound, "p-plea-se make i-i-it go-o aw-way." I moaned. Her eyes never lost their angry expression but her lips closed and the pain lessened, if only marginally. She spoke again and I could only stare in confusion as the tears continued to spill down my cheeks. After a moment she stopped speaking and the pain lessened once more. A voice came into my hearing, it was slow, like static on the radio, but it didn't take long for the tuning to focus and I could hear her words again.

"Nod once if you can hear what I'm saying. Nod on-" She started over but immediately cut her self off when I nodded to show my cooperation. All of a sudden I was off the floor and being swung up through the air. My eyes rolled wildly in my head as I tried hard to make sense of what was up or down. I didn't understand what was going on until I was set, none too gently, on the same sofa I had sat on before I had tried to leave the room.

The only two people left in the room now within the family was Isabella and the one named Rosalie. The smug smile on her face told me everything, she was certainly enjoying watching my pain through her 'sisters' doing. Where had the rest of their family gone?

I search around as much of the room that I could see but found no one to help me, no sympathetic eyes or saving words. I was alone with the two people in this house that would have no problem with hurting me, the only one missing was Emmett. I wondered vaguely where he may have gone but didn't dwell long when the pain diminished once more from around my wrists. I turned my attention back to the two creatures before me. Rosalie just continued to smile at me in the most demeaning way while Bella was giving me a looking that wavered between anger and determination.

"If you so badly wish to leave us then I will not stop you. I will even be kind enough to give you a most wonderful parting gift..." Her voice was sly with subtler tones of anger threading through. Something was not right here. The others had gone and Rosalie had stayed to watch the torture while Isabella spoke of a gift. I was 99.9% sure this was going to be a rather unwelcome gift. Isabella turned to Rosalie for a moment as she spoke.

"What is the verdict? Should we knock him out and then do it or let him suffer the whole way through?" Her voice was laced with malice as she asked for her sisters opinion. I could feel my body tremble and I wanted to run but I knew that escape was impossible with them. I watched fearfully as Rosalie's smile twisted into an ugly mask on her too beautiful face.

"Well my preference would be that he suffer the whole way through, just like we did. We wouldn't want him to miss out on the full experience of such a wonderful gift." Isabella smiled right along with Rosalie as though enjoying some private joke.

"You absolutely correct Rose. Really that is brilliant, we would not want him to miss out. Speaking of, where is your other half?" My heart sank as my mind made the connection. Emmett was still here, somewhere.

"Hold your horses I'm right here." His voice barreled through the doorway a second before he did and then Emmett, and all his brute strength, was moving into my vision. He wagged his eyebrows at me and then kissed his wife before turning to Bella with a smile.

"So Bells... we gunna show him whose boss around here now? Wouldn't want the Volturi to find him while he's still human or in the middle of a transformation." His voice was carefree and happy as he inquired over my humanity and safety. I didn't understand these people at all, they were monsters and I had fallen for such a simple story of them wanting to save my life. Did you know gullible is not a word in the dictionary?

"You make a valid point. Let's get this over with, I suppose if he hates us afterward at least we know he will have a chance against _them_. Alice was right, she should have taken care of this, she always was much better at the whole 'save humans' deal." Isabella turned to look at me with a wicked grin on her face.

"Okay big boy, time for a little trip to a new undead life." I grew panicked then and blurted out the one thing I thought might slow her down.

"B-but what about Carlisle?! Didn't he say I should have a choice?" Isabella froze at my words but only for a moment before the laughter seemed to bubble up and out of her full lips.

"_Carlisle_," she spat out angrily, "doesn't understand why this must be done, and _Carlisle_ allows me to make my own choices. I will atone for my sins when the time comes or when a guilty conscious takes the place of my non-existant soul." Her anger returned full force and I cringed back into the sofa as best I could while squeezing my eyes shut as I waited for the inevitable. I was going to die.

"Bella..." a small voice cut into the silence. Alice, I breathed out a sigh of relief and opened my eyes again to see Isabella's 'sister' standing defensively in front of me. As I looked around a bit, I saw Jasper standed a few feet away by the stairs.

"You know he deserves the choice. Did you want him to wake up the way you did, without a choice and hating what he is?" Alice spoke quietly but I could see Isabella visibly flinch at her words. I hadn't given much thought on how Isabella had ended up the way she was and by the looks of it the transformation and situation behind it had been painful for her. Alice relaxed just a bit as the anger slowly drained out of the vampire in front of her. Her eyes went from jet black to that frothy green again in seconds.

"Alice," her voice was small and wavering, "we talked about this, you've seen it. We can win with him like this but if we try there will be casualties. If we change him he can help in the fight and we wont lose anyone."

My attention was then diverted from Isabella's words to Rosalie when the leggy blond growled low in frustration, turned on her heel, and swiftly flew out of the room and into the night. Emmett wasn't far behind her, calling out to her.

"Babe! Babe come on! Why are you upset?" His voice drifted off into the distance as they moved farther and farther from the the house. When I turned back towards the scene in front of me Isabella was gone and so was the faint burning around my wrists. Alice was watching me and when I met her gaze I immediately looked away again.

"Come on," she said quietly, "let's go get you some water, the cool will counteract the burning you just experienced." My eyes moved to my wrists and I gasped. Both of my wrists had markings now circling around them in an angry red color. I realized then that this would no longer be a series of secular experiences. These markings would be a constant reminder as to what Isabella could really do to me. I winced a different burning sensation pulsed through the skin around my wrists.

Alice was picking me up then, despite my protests and carrying me with her tiny arms into the kitchen. She set me on the bar stool and moved with un-human speed to the sink before returning a moment later with a cold cloth in her hands. I stared at her open mouthed for a moment before she sighed in exasperation and grabbed my wrist to place the cloth on it herself. She vanished from my stare for a moment and in a second was back with another cloth for the other wrist.

She then turned me, placed my wrists on the counter in front of me and moved to sit opposite me with a thoughtful expression on her face. I just stared at her pale features, mostly in shock that I wasn't dead yet or one of them. After a few minutes of silence her expression changed to a faraway kind of clouded look. I was about to ask her what was going when Jasper was suddenly standing with his arms around her.

"Alice, love. What do you see?" She swayed slightly in his arms and then her eyes cleared and she stared at me for a moment before turning to Jasper.

"I'm okay Jasper. It's alright, I was just seeing Bella and Edward headed to Eleazer's, it wasn't anything major." She smiled at him brightly but something was off. Her smiled seemed a bit forced if I wasn't mistaken. Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly at her words and smile but seemed to write it off.

"I was actually just going to give Edward a little backround information on our Bella before she came back. He has a right to know why she responded the way she did today. Her past is... well you know. Your welcome to sit in and listen." Alice turned back to me but Jasper shook his head and stepped towards the door.

"Honestly," he looked embarrassed about something, "I don't really need anymore temptation. I will see you once your done okay? I'm going to go hunt." Alice nodded her approval without a glance in his direction and I was quick to turn back to her once Jasper left.

"He doesn't want to eat you." Alice stated bluntly. I thought about what the proper response would be to that statement and couldn't come up with anything that related so I changed the subject.

"Did you just have a vision there?" I inquired. She look a bit surprised at my forward question but she smiled after a moment and nodded in affirmation.

"I did." She offered no other explanation so I let it drop and as the silence lingered I took the liberty to study the kitchen around me again.

"Okay Edward," I focused back on her as she spoke,

"I know you think we are all awful people and I am one hundred percent sure you are very afraid of Bella right now but I need you to listen to what I am about to tell you about her past okay? Very few know of how Bella came into this life. It was extremely painful for her and when she woke up it only got worse." I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I was still extremely angry with the whole situation and I didn't much want to upset Alice. She and Esme were the two people in this family I was starting to like.

"Bella and I are the two in this family who have no idea who we were as humans. We don't remember anything, where we were, if we had friends or family, nothing. Bella's first recollection was of the Volturi. She was brought there for some reason, which would later be explained, and she was transformed after meeting Aro. This is the only memory she has of being human, meeting Aro and then being bitten. She was left on a cold stone floor in a dark and empty room where she burned for three days. The transformation is an extremely painful process and feels like you are literally being held in a fire. The Volturi did not make this process any easier for her by leaving her in there alone. When Bella awoke she was dragged from her prision, dazed and confused, to see Aro. He was pleased with her and so they threw back into that dark room. She was held in that room for 20 years and every two weeks they would feed her." Alice paused there, gauging my reaction to what she was saying.

"Fed her as in..." I gulped when she nodded in affirmation.

"They fed her humans, the Volturi are not like our family. Most vampires are not like our family. There is only one other coven we know of up in Alaska that follows our diet. That existence, those first 20 years was the only life Bella knew and when they let her out of her cage they brought in Eleazar so they would know what gift she may have had. That was about the time Eleazar left the Volturi. He took one look at what they had done to Bella and after telling them what she could do, left and only returned sometime later to get Bella away from them. The Volturi were none to pleased with him but they couldn't pin her desertion on him since they had no proof." This confused me and my curiosity on the subject pushed me to interrupt.

"But the Volturi are your rulers... Can't they do whatever they please?" Alice laughed at that but I didn't find anything funny about the question. I was honestly curious.

"The Volturi, although they are powerful, are bound by their own rules as well. Should they kill or punish for no reason the people of our world would overthrow them and they know it. So although they have significant power, they are not all-powerful. I'm sorry I seem to be getting ahead of myself. So after Eleazar left, Bella was left to the Volturi and they used her well for her power. Bella was a slave for them. She was fed when she did as they asked and starved when she disobeyed. She grew weak and despondent until she was quite literally a walking corpse. She did as she was told and nothing more. If you should ever meet Marcus, of the Volturi, you will have a glimpse of what Bella was like. This treatment lasted for centuries and the scars she carries from those days are still very much visible in our eyes. After so many centuries of the treatment she received, something changed. No one but Bella really understands what happened but I would say she did the same thing you did today. She snapped, mentally she was completely gone. They had broken her." Alice's expression went from strict storytelling to sadness and a touch a fear filling her eyes at her own words.

"At that point when she snapped the story gets hazy. All we really know is that she killed a lot of our kind in Volterra with her gift and they were powerless to stop her. She was an indestructible force to be reckoned with. The only reason Aro, Marcus and Caius survived her attack was their body guards who kept Bella from finding them as she moved through the palace they occupied. At the end of the destruction, all of the vampires, excluding Aro, Marcus, Caius and their bodyguards, and the humans that had been residing there were laying scattered throughout the stone rooms. She left then for a few days as the three and their body guards that had survived cleaned up the mess and got things back in order. Bella returned a few days later and asked them what her next job was. The Volturi didn't understand at the time why she would return but with the healthy dose of fear they had for her they gave her another job and sent her on her way." I was sure Alice had seen my confused expression because she paused for a moment and then explained exactly what I had been confused about.

"Bella returned to the Volturi because, as I said, that was all she knew. That was where she was transformed, where she worked, where she was fed and after living so shadowed and closely watched for so long she didn't know where else to go once she had killed so many of them. I know from what we have told you that you are aware that we do not die so very easily. This was also why he Volturi feared her, Bella could kill our own kind very easily and it frightened them that she had such power. It wasn't long after that when Eleazar returned for Bella. He met her in Volterra and told her about the kind of life she could have outside of the Volturi. He knew they would never stop her from leaving, they wouldn't dare. She left that day with him."

"It took another few decades for her to find Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and I but once she did she took to our diet rather easily. She had never enjoyed the experience of feeding on humans. Where Bella's problem comes in is her temper. There are things that set her off and she is shoved back into the memories of her time at Volterra. It tends to make her lose all control of her own actions, as she did that day. Over time she learned to control those things but you, for some reason, seem to anger her so easily. She hasn't had a reaction like that in over fifty years and when she did that particular girl didn't survive it." Alice look thoughtful for a few minutes and I sat back in my chair and tried to relax from the tense natural of such a story and such a past.

Isabella had quite literally gone through hell and back to get to where she was today. It didn't surprise me now that she had responded the way she had, it just frightened me.

"As a matter of fact," Alice cut into my thoughts, "Last time this happened, when I tried to get in the way she used her gift to forcibly move me out of the way. She held all of us back as she killed that girl." Alice shuddered at her own words and I immediately felt myself warming up to her even more. She knew then, what it was like to burn. I wanted to hug her or something but stayed right where I was. Jasper wouldn't appreciate that much if I hugged his wife.

"She is extremely powerful and that is one of the reasons we try to let her make her own choices but if she can't get out of her memories we usually step in to see if we can help her out. For that girl it didn't work but for you... well she didn't even fight me on it once she realized what was going on. I can't decide if it is because of you or because she is improving all around. You do bring out the most bizarre reactions from her." I scoffed, that was lovely. I'm glad I could bring out the crazy deranged vampire so easily.

"That's wonderful." I muttered and Alice laughed as she hopped out of her chair and around the counter to the door. She turned to look at me before she left.

"She will be back soon and she will want to speak to you. She wants to apologize and then she wants to leave for Eleazar's. Will you accept her apology and go with her?" she inquired.

"Did I ever have a choice?" I shot back. She smiled sadly and shook her head no before leaving me to my thoughts. I now knew of Isabella's past and I wasn't quite sure I should pity her or keep being angry for what she had done to my life. I certainly felt awful for the things she had gone through in her life but she never seemed to think that I might need some kind of explanation. Everthing she did went unquestioned until after she had already follow through on them. Rosalie and Emmett were also confusing me. I hadn't thought to ask Alice about why they had hung around to watch what Isabella did to me.

I looked down at my wrists again and winced as the pain promptly wormed its way back into my head. So much for a distraction from the pain. That distraction had just walked out the door to another room or maybe she'd left the house entirely. I wasn't sure. I moved one hand slowly and pulled off the cloth that was covering the other wrist. The cloth was no longer cold so I removed the other one as well and set them both by the sink. I hadn't seen where Alice had retrieved them from. She had been moving too fast.

Alice had said that Isabella would be returning soon so I turned to go wait in the front room and took a step back in surprise at Isabella standing in the doorway of the kitchen just watching me. Her eyes were troubled and she looked so sad I immediately felt the pull to comfort her. I tried hard to squash it down as she took a step inside the doorway. My body reacted by taking another step back. I could see the hurt and acceptance flash across her features.

"Edward." She spoke quietly, eyes cast to the floor, I had to strain to hear her next words, "I am so very sorry for what I did. I- I was not in the right mind, I ask, no, _beg_ for your forgiveness." She never lifted her eyes from the floor as the silence stretched on after her words. She looked so fragile and scared, a shadow of what she may have looked like when she was locked up with the Volturi. I shuddered and turned away from those thoughts.

"I-," I took a deep breath and let the rest rush out before I could change my mind, "I forgive you, Isabella." The fragile set of her body never changed but the fear vanished, slowly fading from her eyes as she glanced up at me with surprise. She lowered her eyes again, refusing to look at me. I was silently grateful, it was hard to think when I had to look into her eyes.

"I was wondering if you would consider coming to Eleazar's with me to see if he would know anything about why the Volturi are after you?" Her voice was at a more normal volume now but she didn't sound anymore confident than before. I found myself taking a step forward with the overwhelming desire to help her. I pushed it down again but did not step back. One step forward wouldn't kill me, we had a counter in between us as it was.

"Okay." I whispered. She didn't look up this time but I could tell she was equally surprised by this answer as she was with the last one.

"Okay," she sounded hesitant, "then will you please meet me by the front door in a half hours time?" this time she looked up and I just nodded before she was suddenly gone.

I watched the door swing shut in her absence and then I forced myself to take the steps necessary to get myself upstairs to search for a bag. I had no clue how long we would be gone for and I didn't much like the idea of being stuck somewhere else without clothes again. I certainly wasn't a neat freak but I did like clean clothes.

I was downstairs in a half hour, as she had requested and we left in silence, Emmett was already in the car. He would be driving again and I wondered why he would be joining us for this particular trip. I wasn't much of a threat to a woman like Isabella. I mean she was a vampire for the love all things holy. I didn't stand a chance so I surmised that there was something else going on that I wasn't supposed to know quite yet and left it at that.

As we pulled out of the garage and onto the driveway that wound through the trees away from the house I looked back to see Alice standing in the doorway. She waved once and then disappeared into the house as we sped off to another unknown destination.

* * *

**And to Eleazar's and the Denali Clan we shall go!! Will he be able to help? Well honestly I don't care, I'm just hoping Bella can keep her temper for a little longer or Edward is going to be a very unhappy vampire. Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? :) **

**Reviews are to me, what speeding is to vampires! WONDERFUL! hehe**


	7. Talents Found In Legends

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight.**

**Chapter 6:**** Talents Found in Legends**

The drive was a long one and it was extremely uncomfortable, at least for two of us. Emmett whistled or sang most of the way there but it didn't surprise me, nothing ever seemed to bother him. I sat in the back seat and tried, to no avail, to stare only out the window. My eyes continually betrayed me though and I would end up caught in that sea green gaze as Isabella stared right back at me.

It was obvious she was feeling very guilty for her actions and I hadn't found it in my heart to not be angry with her for what she did. Yet my anger was always subdued when little snippets of her past would float up to my conscious and parade around. It was a nasty cycle in my head that had me extremely confused as to where I stood on the whole situation.

I was also entirely unsure if Isabella knew that I was aware of her history. Had Alice told her that I knew and if not would Isabella be angry when she found out? I didn't want a repeat of her performance at their house. I didn't think I could handle anymore of this crazy up and down situation.

I slept very little during the ride and I realized in that ride that neither Emmett nor Isabella slept at all. Emmett drove the whole way without stopping or going below one hundred miles per hour. It was a surreal experience knowing that they were no longer hiding these things from me by making me sleep or convincing me that they had slept or eaten.

In some ways it was a whole new dynamic to a relationship that I hadn't entered into willingly but I accepted that it was a step in the right direction to at least know who and what I was dealing with. For a long while during that car ride I mulled over my feelings towards my family. Did I miss them? Was I worried about them?

Mostly I worried now about my sister and how she was faring without me to take care of her. She needed me and then I was gone, without any explanation, although I would hope they didn't just assume I ran away. I couldn't do that to her, she was the only reason I stayed there as long as I had. I shook my head to clear away thoughts of her, I hated feeling sad, it never did anyone any good.

I wasn't sure where this Eleazar lived, they never told me where I was or where I was going but it seemed to me we were driving north because things started to get snowy and everything was covered in ice. We were either in Canada or Alaska but it didn't matter much because there was no way I was getting home from here anyway. My captors were too strong and too fast to even consider it a possibility.

Eleazar's house, if you could call it that, was nothing like that of Isabella's. Their only similar quality was size. They were both huge but the shape and style was vastly different. Eleazar's house was very dark with a more antique style to it while Isabella's house had been full of windows with light, open, airy colors. It had been as though they wanted to drag as much of the forest around their house into their house.

Here the house looked as though it should have belonged to an old Irish king or the Spanish royal family. I never had been very good at interpreting style. It was an interesting house though and one that looked like you could get lost in it. Emmett pulled up to the side of the house and drove around a large driveway to the back where he parked by a garage separate from the house.

As both vampires exited the car there was a flurry of movement and then there were four more people looking very similar to Emmett and Isabella standing with them and hugging them well I sat in the car watching. I had never been given a number for Eleazar's group, all I had known was that we were going to see him.

It seemed that in Eleazar's clan there were three females and what I supposed to be Eleazar himself. As I watched Isabella turned to look at me and I slid over to the door and got out to be introduced or whatever she wanted to do.

"Eleazar," her voice was soft as she addressed the man in front of her, "this is Edward, he is the reason I'm here." I didn't try to hide my curiosity as I looked him over and he seemed to be amused by my audacity to do so. I liked him at first glance, he reminded me more of Alice than Isabella.

"Well come on inside. He will certainly freeze out here, even if we would not." Eleazar chuckled at his own joke and then turned to lead us inside. Isabella did not turn to me, nor did she give me any instruction, she merely turned and followed Eleazar as well. I thought for a moment about staying in the car but my curiosity got the better of me and I followed, albeit reluctantly, up the steps and into the old home.

It didn't take long for us to get settled. We merely moved from outside to a parlor room that looked like it would have made a better appearance in a different time era. Everyone was silent for a few minutes but my stomach seemed to have other ideas and I looked up to see if anyone had noticed the rumbling.

"Isabella," I started, though all eyes were already on me and my stomach, "I think I need to eat now, did we bring any food?"

She looked me over for a moment, her eyes were guarded but she didn't look angry with my request. She turned and quirked an eyebrow at Eleazar. He grinned and stood up.

"Yes, yes, my dear boy. Those little vixen's over there," he pointed to two of the new vampires, "like to keep men around the house for sport so there is plenty of food here. Anything your heart desires." My blood ran cold as his words registered. _for sport._ My eyes involuntarily flickered to the two women on the couch and they were both watching me devilish grins but one was giving me a look that made me entirely uncomfortable, like she wanted to eat me. I almost choked on the air I was breathing I was so nervous to leave the room in that moment.

"F-for sp-p-port?" I managed to spit out as we entered the kitchen. Eleazar laughed at my expression and turned to open the pantry as he explained.

"Oh we all follow a strict diet of only animal blood, we are the only other clan besides the Cullen's. Those girls though, the like to play with men... like pets. They keep one for a few weeks and then choose another. Most are pleased to be here, the girls have a reputation here for being rather good in bed." Eleazar turn back to me as my face heated up and again he was grinning.

"Oh." I managed to push out before he handed me some bread and peanut butter. He gestured for me to sit at the table in front of me to which I quickly obliged.

"Your reactions are most interesting to watch. You are quite easy to read, well humans in general are quite easy to read but you are different somehow. I think it is the way you act, you are afraid but you cannot help who you are. Do you mind if I take a look?" I looked up at him from the sandwhich I was making, he set down some jelly in front of me and then took the seat across from me.

"L-look at what?" He was making me nervous with all this small talk and then wanting to look at something. I didn't much want him to touch me.

"I don't have to touch you. I'm just going to get a feel for your talents, should you have any that is. That is my gift."

"I don't understand." I replied as I turned back to making my sandwhich. As long as he didn't touch me I didn't care what he did.

"Well you just keep making your sandwhich and eat it too and I will tell you if I find anything." I nodded but did not meet his gaze, it would be hard to eat if I watched him while he watched me. I ate my sandwhich in silence and let my thoughts wander away from the embarrassing emotions that flooded me when I thought of the two women in there using men for sex.

It was pretty much like being a hooker and I was a little weirded out by a vampire wanting to be a hooker though I was glad they were not killing those men. After I finished my sandwhich Eleazar rose and guided me back to the parlor where we were greeted with a rather interesting scene. Isabella, much to my fear, looked frustrated, while those two women were still eying me, and then Emmett and the other vampire were talking animatedly about some topic or another.

"No Tanya, Edward is not one of your toys, you can't have him." Eleazar's statement surprised me and I wondered how he knew that they were aiming for me. I shuddered at the thought. The idea was intriguing but they were vampires and the idea of those teeth being anywhere near me, I shuddered again. Tanya was pouting now on their couch.

"Why not, big boy? I bet he wants to..." She tossed her blonde curls a bit at her statement her voice was smooth like velvet as my body unwilling reacted. Tanya reached up slowly, her eyes wide and pulling me in as she came closer to touching me. Her hand froze a moment before she reached me though as a low growl ripped through the room, this time the shudder that ran down my spine was fear. I knew that sound all too well.

"Tanya." The word was a hiss but the warning behind it was unmistakable, Isabella was very angry and as I glanced towards her I realized just how angry she was. Her entire body was off her chair and crouched as she glared daggers as Tanya, her eyes were pitch black. I tried hard not to let my body go into panic mode.

"I didn't know he was taken." Tanya retorted as she snatched her hand away. Her voice was snide but it didn't do a very good job of hiding her fear. It seemed everyone was afraid of her which didn't much surprise me. I looked back at her and realized her anger hadn't abated. Her eyes were still black.

"Isabella?" I inquired and she turned to look at me. I repressed the automatic trembling her eyes could cause and tried to look at her calmly. Her body relaxed slowly and the black faded out to green. I sighed in relief. Tanya stood then with the other woman at her side.

"Alright then, Irina, let's go find Kate and find someone who _will_ play with us. Yes?" Irina smirked and nodded in agreement. They were gone before I could blink. Well it seemed we sure knew how to clear out a room. I turned back to Eleazar then who had seated himself across from the one vampire I didn't know the name of yet.

She didn't say anything, merely smiled at me and looked at Eleazar. He seemed a bit flabbergasted at what had just transpired. His eyes flickered in obvious curiosity between myself and Isabella but I let it go as he finally focused on whatever he wanted to say.

"Bella do recall any of the stories I used to tell you of vampire history? Of our legends?" I looked over at Isabella but there was no response, or perhaps I had missed it because Eleazar continued on.

"Well I think your Edward here may be a part of one of those legends. His gift is nothing like I've ever seen and to have it so strongly as a human is even rarer. You know these things though." This time I caught her slight nod of affirmation.

"I have a gift?" I interrupted and Eleazar's gaze flickered to me with a smile.

"Yes, if you will be patient I will tell you of the legend and of your gift." I got the feeling I was being reprimanded so I shut my mouth and smashed down my curiosity as best I could. Isabella just looked amused at the exchange and I had half a mind to stick my tongue out at her.

"This kind of legend is one that has passed out of collective vampire memory a very long time ago but the Volturi do not forget. They have been searching for one such as yourself for a very, very long time. The legend is of a man who was turned, they named him Rayal, and this particular vampire became what the Volturi now are to us. He controlled our race and kept the rules. He was the first in power for our kind and he was never disobeyed. He was born with a particular gift though, one that I have not heard of or seen until you. Rayal was given the gift of persuasion. This was not just any kind of persuasion either, if he required you to do something you had no choice but to do it." Isabella seemed to be contemplating something as Eleazar spoke and I looked at her quizzically but she merely shook her head and looked back at the storyteller.

"If he told you to kill yourself you would find a way to do so, if you told you to run forever you would do so, unless he told you to stop. This was how he came into power, anything he asked to be done was done. He was a fair ruler too, the laws he made were just in the eyes of our people. Rayal ruled for a very long time, no one knows quite how long but they mourned upon his death. Though Rayal had a powerful gift he grew careless as the centuries passed. After so much time I would imagine he was weary of ruling and in that time a group of vampires, the Romanian coven, found the opportunity to destroy him. Before he died he spoke of one thing, the return of his power. He spoke of the beginning of the end for any group that should take rule after him, that they would be destroyed by the one whom should receive his power. _That_ is you my dear boy." Eleazar's gaze settled on me as he ended his speech with a satisfied grin, like he had just explained away all our problems.

"But, but but, I've never been able to convince anyone of anything." Eleazar laughed but I just looked at him feeling very confused.

"That's because your human Edward and you have never really tried. You don't notice how sometimes things can go so easily your way when so many people struggle? All you have to do is ask a few times and things start to straighten out?" I didn't much want to think about the possibilities in that moment so I merely nodded but kept silent. I looked over at Isabella then only to find her staring at me although it was different from before. This kind of staring made me nervous in a different way.

She was excited and I could almost see the possibilities, as they ran through her mind, of what I could be like as one of them. I looked away quickly to ask Eleazar another question, I didn't want to focus on anything to closely yet.

"So what do you think the Volturi want with me? I mean can't I just tell them to shut up and kill themselves and they would have to?" Eleazar chuckled.

"Well if you were a vampire sure, but they wanted to find you before you knew your own potential so they could use you and manipulate you. They would never have told you what you could do to the fullest extent and they probably would have found some way to restrain you. That is what they have been working on for so long- a way to control your gift so they could use it to their benefit." Well now that was a little terrifying, something to control me with.

"Have they figured it out yet? What to control me with?" My curiosity and fear were equally tugging at me and my excitement to have the answers to those questions was a bit overwhelming.

"Well when I left they had not figured it out but that was centuries ago, your better off asking Bella that." I turned to her expectantly but the expression I saw was not what I expected to see and it stopped my curiosity cold in it's tracks.

Her expression was a mix between recalling painful memories and then getting lost in said memories. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back only to freeze right in that position. I couldn't tell which was worse but I stood up then and moved to crouch in front of her. She didn't acknowledge my presence, although I was sure she knew I was there, her eyes stayed closed and she was perfectly still.

"Bella." I kept my voice low and gentle. I could see her eyes move in just the slightest way. I knew my use of her preferred name had surprised her but she didn't look at me. I didn't want to see her hurting and I knew in this instant that this was no trap or fake emotion. She was in real pain and there was nothing she could do to hurt me anymore, she already had me tied up at the wrists, literally.

"Bella, please look at me? I know this is hard for you but would you at least consider talking to me about it?" I thought about that particular sentence and revised, "Or Emmett?" I could see her lips twitch into a smile but her face relaxed again and as soon as it appeared it was gone.

"I didn't leave that long ago..." Her voice was a whisper as I strained to hear her words, "but they had some kind of prototype designed out, I should have destroyed it when I had the chance but I didn't know." I looked up at her stunned into silence. She had offered me something, a peace offering maybe, a monumental one. I now had information about her from her own lips. For some reason this meant more to me than I thought it would.

She hadn't opened her eyes so I chose to move back to my seat, thinking it would make her more comfortable if I wasn't so close.

"So they might?" I wanted to make it into a statement but it felt more like a question as it left my lips. Eleazar nodded, it seemed to be the best information we had at the moment. I sighed, that was just lovely.

"Now do you want to be a vampire Eddie-boy?" I rolled my eyes and shot Emmett a glare. Leave it to him to think of the most un-sensitive thing he can at the most inopportune moment. He just looked at me with this big goofy grin on his face, it made me want to punch it right off, but I knew that would only result in my hand being a bloody mess.

"Soooo what now?" I turned away from Emmett, finding that ignoring him would be my best option.

"_You _should get some sleep, _I'm_ going to call Carlisle and speak to him and Alice." Bella was looking at me again and I was honestly glad in that moment to see her eyes clear of any obvious pain. I tried to squash that feeling but it didn't quite seem to want to be squashed. It seemed I could no longer consider myself mad at her. She was too vulnerable to be angry with, no matter what she did to deny that. I could see now that her calm, cool, and collected was really just a very well practiced facade and it dissipated my anger like nothing else had.

"Okay," I responded, yawning as I spoke. I had forgotten that I was tired, after everything it had just slipped my mind. It was only made worse by the travel and so I was quick to agree and stand to find a place to crash.

The other vampire stood up then as well and she beckoned for me to follow, when I looked towards Bella she nodded.

"Hello, Edward. I'm Carmen. I'm Eleazar's mate." Her use of the word surprised me but my exhaustion was pulling me under so I didn't think on it too much. I followed her out of the room and up a wide set of stairs into a plush hallway. She led me only a few doors down before opening a door and ushering me inside as she turned on the light.

She kept a polite distance from me, maybe so as to not cause any discomfort, I appreciated her efforts. Once she departed, after having given me instructions on where the bathroom was located, I fell onto the king size bed in the middle of the room. I fell asleep without thought or care about my clothes, the bathroom, or the soft light that lit the room around me and I dreamed of being a vampire.

* * *

**Hey! We learned something new this chapter!! :) Hope things are getting less confusing...? Maybe not, but it will all make sense in the end! That would be the beauty of a story, that wonderful aha! moment.**

**I know I made up a gift and legend that doesn't exist in the Twilight series but this whole story is pretty AU ya know? I hope you aren't minding it too much. It's fun for me!**

**Reviews?? Yes please! :)**


	8. Decisions Debated in Dreams

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight. :(**

**Chapter 7:**** Decisions Debated in Dreams**

My mother looked the same, upset maybe, but not in the way I would have expected. It was as though they had forgotten about my disappearance already. She was angry with my sister for some trivial thing while my father merely ignored it all. A typical scene in my house that I had grown all too familiar with. I could tell my mother had been drinking but that didn't matter to me. What mattered was the burning desire I had to step in and save Anabelle, my baby sister, as she cringed away from my mother. It seemed nothing had changed in my absence.

"Your going to eat this if I you have to sit there all night!" I watched as my mother smacked Anabelle sharply on the hand and I could see the tears forming in her eyes as the sting registered. If I was in there I could protect her from it but I was outside the window looking in and I wasn't sure I was strong enough to go in there with out causing more destruction.

"I want Edward." Anabelle whispered softly as the tears started to spill over. My mother merely snorted out a laugh and picked up her own fork.

"Edward left you here. He isn't coming back and he isn't welcome back." I felt the anger boiling up within me. How dare she tell Anabelle that I had left her. If things had been different I would still be there with her, protecting her, the way I was meant to do. I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder just as my body started to move towards the front door of my old house.

"You can't go in there Edward. You'll kill her." Her voice was matter of fact as she kept her hand clamped down on me. I didn't try to struggle away, she was right, I didn't have the control yet to be so close and take Anabelle away. I turned to glare at the interference that was Bella. She tugged at me gently, her eyes soft in the darkness.

"Come on, let's go home." I scoffed at her words before turning back around to watch Anabelle.

"I am home." My voice was detached, I was angry with the woman who seemed to have claimed me without my permission. I could feel as her grip loosened. My words had hurt her.

"It wont be too much longer. Soon you will have control enough to take Anabelle away from here. You can take her to live with us and she can be happy." I did not appreciate her reference to my sister, I could feel it as the growl slid low and menacing out of my throat. I turned on her abruptly, glaring as the words fell out of my mouth.

"_I want you to go away, leave me ALONE."_ My tone was sharp and so very angry, I hated her for what she had made me and now she would have to feel the consequences of that. Once again her expression turned to one of hurt but surprisingly there was no anger. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at me, she knew she had no choice but to leave.

"I thought we were past this..." She whispered as her body turned unwillingly and walked away from me. I immediately felt the rush of guilt at using such an underhanded force on her, I was sure I hated myself more than I could ever hate her. My gift was to take away free will essentially and no matter how angry I was the guilt was crushing every time I used that persuasion on someone.

"I'm sorry." I whispered as she disappeared from sight. I turned quickly back to the window to catch up on what may have happened only to be greeted with the same scene I had turned away from. The tears were still falling haphazardly from my sisters eyes. In that moment, as I watched her, she turned and her tear filled eyes met mine and a jolt seemed to run through my whole body as everything went black.

Something was smashing uncomfortably into my nose as I tried unsuccessfully to figure out where I was now. It was bright behind my eyelids, as though a light were shining around me but my face was smashed into some kind of fabric. My whole body felt strained as I worked to open my eyes to the light. The sight that greeted me was an old style bedroom that I was unfamiliar with, I let my sleep addled brain adjust for a moment before the memories of the day before returned to me full force. The house was silent from what I could tell, except for the creaking that came with any old house.

I pushed myself up quickly to find myself still dressed in the clothes I had worn the night before. My skin felt odd from having slept in jeans, the material had left marks down my legs for sure. I moved over to the wall to turn off the light and open the curtains before I left to find Bella.

I checked the parlor first only to find Eleazar, Carmen, Emmett and Bella in the same places they had been when I had fallen asleep. All three of the them looked at me upon my entrance. Bella looked me up and down with an expression of amusement but I tried hard to ignore her. I didn't much care what I looked like in that moment.

"Have you guys been sitting here since I went to bed?" I inquired, keeping my eyes on Eleazar so I wouldn't find myself losing focus by looking at Bella. He motioned for me to find a seat and I chose my previous chair as he answered my inquiry.

"We did hunt during the night but since then we have been here discussing you actually." My eyes flickered to Bella as I wondered what she may have had to say on the subject. I knew she wanted to change me to keep the Volturi at bay.

"What were you discussing about me?" Eleazar smiled at my question, he seemed pleased that I had though to ask it.

"Your humanity of course. Bella seems to think you should be changed as soon as possible. She makes a valid point, it would be better for you. I have to say though, I don't agree. I think the choice is up to you." I almost jumped up to hug him in that moment. That meant I had at least four people on my side as far as my choice was concerned. I looked over at Bella again and she was watching me though I was relieved to find her calm.

"You know, I received a call from Alice today... she wanted to know if you were still human. Interesting don't you think?" I knew my expression would be confused. Why would Alice have called to ask a question like that?

"She seems to have seen something along the lines of you being one of us and apparently it was of no choice made by me." Her tone trailed off suggestively, "How were your dreams last night?" I could hear her amusement at the idea of me dreaming that I was a vampire since I was so vehemently opposed to it. She was right to suggest it too, I had been dreaming about being a vampire but I knew the only reason I wanted it was to protect my sister and stop being a burden to the Cullen's. I liked the majority of them and they seemed to like me, I just didn't like causing so many problems for them with the Volturi.

"Does it really matter? I told you how I feel about it." I was nervous, I didn't want to admit to her that I had been considering it. That would only give her a foothold in her case and she wouldn't understand my reasoning anyway because it had nothing to do with taking over the Volturi or my gift.

"You made it very very clear how you _felt_. Has that changed since yesterday's revelation?" Again with the amusement. I glared at her for a second before looking away, I would not be forced to say anything I didn't want to tell her.

"No. Are we staying here for very long?" I didn't try to hide my annoyance at her questions but it didn't bother her, she was laughing. Emmett spoke up then, having stayed unusually quiet since I had arrived.

"We are leaving now, since you've woken up." His expression was carefully neutral, I wondered what he may have been thinking of or what else they had discussed that had him so quiet and serious. It was not normal for Emmett to be so quiet and matter-of-fact.

We said our goodbyes after that and piled into the car to head back to the Cullen house. I had considered asking Bella about Tanya, Irina, and Kate but it seemed safer to merely speculate as to why I hadn't seen them before we left. At the same time, I was partially glad I hadn't seen them. The two that I had met were too other worldly for me to have any interest in seeing them for any length of time, plus their professions were a little out there considering they were vampires.

Prostitute vampires... it was most definitely an abstract idea. The species in and of itself was very beautiful in my eyes but they were made to drink our blood. Being close to them, even for me, was frightening sometimes. It was like something inside of you, instincts perhaps, automatically started warnings in your head when you get near them. I couldn't imagine myself being with either of those two in that way, then again I didn't know them very well.

I shook my head slightly to clear it. When I finally focused on my surroundings again I found Bella's gaze trained on me. I couldn't be sure how long she had been watching me but I could feel my ears grow hot as my embarrassment surfaced. I turned away to look out the window only to be greeted with the monotony of ice and snow. I sighed quietly in frustration. I had spent way too much time in a car these past few weeks.

I tried to ignore the feeling of eyes on me but after about a half hour I turned abruptly to stare right back at her. She didn't even blink, she just continued to watch me. I huffed in annoyance, purposefully avoiding her eyes.

"Could you please not stare at me? It's extremely disconcerting and not to mention annoying." Her expression went from blank to amused but I just glared at her until she turned around and started up a conversation with Emmett about the weather. The rest of the ride was uneventful, we drove for almost a full day and arrived at the house early the next day.

The next few days became extremely awkward for me. They put me back in my original room and I was given free reign in the house but any time I entered a room with two or more of the Cullen's in it they would go silent and stare at me until I moved into another room. Even Alice and Carlisle seemed confused around me or maybe freaked out. Esme was the only one that tried to make me comfortable with the whole situation and even she seemed wary about something.

It took me about four days to finally come up with the courage to say something but as soon as I went to talk to Alice, she seemed to freeze up and her eyes glazed over right in front of me. Next thing I knew Jasper was holding onto her and lowering her into a chair.

"Alice, love, what did you see?" His voice was gentle and I could feel a sense of calm rushing over me with his presence. She didn't respond right away, her expression seemed horrified or fearful of something as the rest of the Cullen's seemed to appear in the dining room. They were all silent as Alice merely sat frozen for a few minutes.

"The Volturi are coming..." She whispered, "for him." Her fearful eyes turned abruptly to me and I shivered at the threat in her voice. I was here to escape from the Volturi and now they knew I was here. Where would they drag me to next or would they let the Volturi take me?

"Tanya , being the spiteful bitch that she is, decided to report Bella to the Volturi for interfering in their operations. Their public reasoning for wanting Edward is because he is a danger to our kind, which is bull shit because we know they want to use him just like they did Bella. And of course we know that they will use the excuse of spilling the secret to a human with no intention of changing him against us." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella flinch slightly at the mention of her time with the Volturi. Alice was still staring at me with those eyes but I couldn't stare at her any longer so I moved my gaze to Bella. She wasn't looking at me, she wasn't looking at anyone really. She seemed to be mulling over the pro's and con's of some course of action.

"They were going to figure out how to legally visit us anyway but Tanya has only sped up the process." Alice's tone changed from fear to anger as she talked about Tanya. She really didn't like Tanya, that much was obvious.

"Bella I suggest you take him down to Calipatria. We have a safe house there, it is under an alias name, and it is fairly hidden in southern California." Carlisle was the first to speak and I was eternally grateful that he seemed to be honest in front of me. At least now I would know exactly where we were going if Bella chose to go there. Her gaze flickered to me momentarily and then she looked over at Carlisle before nodding her agreement.

"I would like to go with you this time, instead of Emmett." Alice spoke up then, she looked almost back to normal. Both Jasper and Emmett started to protest that before she cut them both off.

"Jasper you know it will be safer for me if I travel away from where the Volturi are showing up and Emmett you have a better chance of a fight if you stay here." I almost let out a laugh as they both halted their protests immediately at her reasoning. Apparently she knew how to manipulate her family extraordinarily well. As it were I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to hold in my chuckles.

"Alice..." Bella seemed reluctant to accept Alice's proposal, though I couldn't see why. Alice cut her off as well.

"Bella it's for the best. I've already seen myself going anyway so let's just skip the argument." Her tone was final, not to be trifled with. She was kind of like a force of nature, something that just couldn't be controlled. Bella stared at her for a moment, maybe surprised at Alice's forward tone, but ultimately her face broke into a smile and the tension dissipated rather quickly.

I felt the breath rush out of my chest in relief and surprise. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath, though everyone seemed to notice when I let it out. I had every right to be nervous though, Bella's anger was not something I wanted to deal with today. I had just been through four days of awkward tip toeing around and I didn't want to add to that by dealing with another flare of anger from the lethal vampire.

"So now that we've gotten that out of the way do you think we could stop with the awkward silences and staring? It's been about four days and I'm sick of being the leper outcast, it's putting me on edge constantly." My voice surprised me when I seemed to decide to explain my feelings to all of them at the same time instead of merely telling Alice. The entire family was once again staring at me and I felt my face heat up as I tried to ignore more staring. Carlisle was the first to look away and speak.

"We are sorry for the past four days. When Bella came back and told us what Eleazar deemed as your gift it was a bit of shock. Even in the modern vampire world that is legend or myth. No one expected it to be true, except the Volturi. Can you forgive us?" The rest of the family murmured their agreement with Carlisle's words. I just wanted the awkward to end, I was sick of it.

"Yeah, your all forgiven or whatever. When are we leaving?" I turned my gaze to Bella.

"We will leave tomorrow." She stated quietly, "Pack some clothes, I left a duffel bag in your room." I tried to hide my surprise though I was sure my attempt failed. I did not expect her to do those kinds of things for me, I mean technically she was my kidnapper. Most kidnappers do not run around letting you pack some clothes and whatnot for travel.

I packed that night and we left in the car once again around mid afternoon, this time with Alice driving. My curiosity was peaked again with wondering why Bella never drove when we traveled. She always had someone else driving for her. I managed to keep the question in for a few hours but after about the twentieth time catching her gazing at me I blurted out my question.

"Why is it that you never drive?" Bella laughed at the question while Alice grinned in the driver's seat. Before responding Bella turned around, like during the first trip I had with her and Emmett, to face me.

"I don't drive because I don't like to drive and I almost never drive as fast as the others do. Usually if I drive they get annoyed with my pace and end up driving anyway. It doesn't matter much anyway because we can't sleep so they can drive the entire time without any trouble." The simplicity of her reason caught me off guard. I stared at her for a few moments as my brain processed what I thought would be some crazy supernatural reason. I blinked a few times before breaking off my stare in embarrassment.

"Oh. Okay." I didn't know what else to say as I turned away to look out the window again. This particular drive had been much more interesting that the one up to Alaska. At least there was more varied scenery to take in and several cities and towns as well. I made sure I paid attention as we passed town after town, keeping track of the names until we hit the one Carlisle had named, Calipatria.

We drove through the town rather quickly and then Alice took a dirt road up farther into the forest and mountains. We didn't go high enough to break through the trees so when we reached the house, which was well hidden in the back trails of the mountain I found myself once again surprised. The house was much like the one up north, it was grand though not as modern. It had a very Victorian feel, as though it were built to mimic the original Victorian style.

This was what their family considered a safe house. I had pictured an underground shelter or a small cabin to remain undetected but no they had mansions. Alice took me up to my room and hovered around as I unpacked some of my things before finally turning to her to ask what she was waiting around for. Before I could say a word she held up her hand to silence me. I stared at her for a moment as the front door opened and closed.

"Okay now we can talk." She stated with a grin as she hopped over to my bed and settled down cross-legged on the comforter. I followed her much more slowly and sat as far away from her as I could. I may trust Alice but I was still cautious of what she was.

"What are we going to talk about?" I inquired, watching as she bounced around while sitting, no small feat.

"I want to know why I'm seeing two of you now. One of you human and one of you as a vampire. What happened up in Denali that has you confused or maybe changing your mind?" She was quick to get to the point for which I was glad, I had been wanting to talk to her about this since my return from the trip but she had been so distant until now.

"I have been wanting to talk to you about this but you've been acting strange recently. Though I'm sure you had your reasons. While I was up in Denali I had a dream about my sister and I realized that becoming one you and having that gift means I could take my sister away from our parents. She is suffering there without me, I know that much because I was always the one to protect her from the brunt of my mother's drinking problem. My father merely ignores it all as it goes on around him. I could protect her and if I was changed I wouldn't have to stay with you guys anymore and burden you." Alice looked hurt that I wanted to leave their family still.

"Don't get me wrong Alice. I like you guys a lot... well most of you. It's just that I know my presence is causing problems and my sister needs me. I mean if I am changed then I can help her and you guys by being able to fend for myself." I amended my statement quickly, I didn't want her to think I wasn't grateful for her kindness. She didn't say anything for a few minutes, just stared at the comforter below her.

"You do realize that if you are changed you would not be able to help your sister until about two years after to transformation. You have to learn to control your thirst before you see her or you'll kill her." I felt myself flinch back at the idea of hurting Anabelle, "As far as being a burden to us, well we don't consider you a burden. This is what my family does, we have been doing this for a long time, at least I have. We protect the human race from the Volturi's cruelty. You are no burden, you are a part of something we do all the time. The difference is with Bella but we already discussed this." I started to speak but she cut me off.

"Listen. I don't remember my human life and most of us did not choose this life through free will. I cannot regret what happened because it was not my choice. You will be making the choice to change and if you are not one hundred percent sure of your choice you find eternity to be very dark and lonely. Guilt and regret are harder to deal with when death is almost impossible for our kind. This is not a whimsical choice. Think of your sister years down the road when she realizes her older brother is not aging while she continues to grow. What will you tell her to keep her safe from the Volturi?"

As Alice dragged me back into the reality of the situation I felt my hopes start to dwindle that I would ever be able to get back to my sister. I could see Alice was seeing something in her minds eyes and when she came out of it she looked sad.

"I don't want you throw out the idea of changing, there are many positives to our lifestyle but you have to know with pro's there are con's, always. The question becomes, is it worth it for you? Of course if the Volturi get their hands on you human, your sister will never see you again anyway. You will be stuck with them until after her death. I doubt you would find an escape until long after your family is deceased. Of course we are trying to prevent that entirely so I wouldn't count on them getting a hold of you just yet."

I think she was trying to comfort me but it didn't help much. I couldn't say I was completely opposed the change, it would make things so much easier but I now had to think about if I really wanted to change and how that would affect me 200 years down the road. Everything seemed so serious, difficult choices that made this situation that much harder for everyone.

I heard the front door open again as Alice hopped off my bed and blurred out of my room. I moved quite a bit slower as I followed the sound of the door downstairs. I didn't see anyone so I kept walking until I found Bella flitting about the kitchen, stocking the pantry and fridge with food for me. Again with the kind gestures, she was confusing me with all the kindness and non-pushy attitude. My wrists hadn't burned much since she had made the marks in her fit of rage almost two weeks ago.

For that I was grateful. I stepped further in the kitchen and in my periphery could seen Alice perched on a stool near the breakfast bar. I glanced over at her but my eyes moved back to Bella quickly.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that. I mean I could have gone." My voice was steady even if my nerves were not. She turned around for a second, freezing from her blurred movements, and smiled at me before finishing up with putting things away.

"I don't mind. You have to eat." She chuckled quietly. Alice hopped up then and threw and arm over Bella's shoulder.

"So I know girls your age are into make overs and all but I never really know what boys like. Video games? Fighting? I'm not sure." It was my turn to laugh. Was it really that hard?

"Do you guys have a video game console here?" That got Alice moving and speaking a mile a minute.

"Most definitely. Emmett loves his video games so we have them at all our houses and of course he has all his favorites games too. Mortal Combat, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto... I can't think of anymore but I don't pay much attention to the video games." I followed as she listed off the titles and watched while she pulled out the consoles they had, which was probably every one ever made. I kneeled down to pick out of the games Emmett apparently loved. All the best of course. I pulled out Mortal Combat, which had been what I was going to play the day Bella had shown up at my house and turned it on before turning back to Alice.

"So for however long we're here is this all we'll be doing? Hanging around and playing video games or whatever?" Alice chuckled quietly as she started to bounce back toward the kitchen.

"Most definitely not." And then she was gone with no further explanation. I shrugged in indifference before turning back to my game. If this was the only night I got to play video games for hours straight then I definitely needed to get at it.

* * *

**And so they move again while the Volturi start to advance... dun, dun, dun.**

**Reviews? That would be lovely! :)**


	9. Changing Perspectives and Lives

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight.**

**Okay. I know, I know... a whole month and a day to post another chapter. This one was hard for me yet exciting. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Chapter 8:**** Changing Perspectives and Lives**

"You know, this is actually her way of coping with what's going on right now?" Bella's voice whispered in my ear as I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time at Alice's actions. She was absolutely addicted to shopping and since Jasper wasn't here, I had to carry all of the clothes she picked out. This was what I got to do instead of play video games. What was worse, Bella just stood by watching, the amusement at my predicament clear in her eyes.

"I heard that Bella!" Alice poked her head out from behind a rack of clothes. I tried not to laugh out loud at her expression and it came out as a snort. Alice just frowned at me before disappearing behind her clothing racks. She had chosen quite a few shirts and pants for me but nothing for Bella. I had a feeling Bella wouldn't be happy if Alice started shopping for her, though I could tell Alice wanted to.

"Well my way of coping is playing video games and I'm currently not being allowed to do that so..." I trailed off as Alice skipped out from the racks to add to the pile of clothes in my hands and then she was steering me towards the dressing room. It took her all of two seconds to figure out which clothes were mine and then she was shoving me into a dressing room.

"I'll know if you don't try everything!" She threatened, her voice deadly serious. I could feel my irritation building as I tried to keep my temper under control. This whole trip was only stressing me out more. Why couldn't we stay within the safe confines of the house? What if someone saw us here? I started pulling one of the shirts off the hanger when there was a small gasp from outside the door.

"Edward. You need to come out here right now." I froze as Bella demanded my presence. Had someone found us already? I tried to keep my hand from trembling as I reached for the door and swung it open. What I saw almost had me collapsing in relief though it was short lived. Alice was standing, eyes far off, facing the dressing room door.

"Alice?" I spoke without thinking while Bella continued to keep an arm around Alice's waist. I wasn't sure if she needed to be held up but it was better to be safe than sorry. I took a moment to glance around and make sure that no one was watching us or wondering what was going on. They didn't need to be involved in this mess. I could see Alice stir slightly out of the corner of my eye and I whipped my head back to watch her.

"They found the safe house." She whispered, her voice so low I had lean in to make any sense of what she was saying. Bella tensed and my body reacted by freezing up, my eyes still trained on Alice. I tried to relax but this was just adding to the stress of earlier. This was not turning out to be a good day.

"We have to go, now." In that moment both Bella and Alice where a blur of movement while I frantically watched for any bystanders. There was no one and I breathed a sigh of relief as the two of them grabbed my arms to drag me out to the car. As soon as we exited the dressing room they slowed down, though they each still kept one hand on me while we walked briskly to the doors.

We were in the car faster than was humanly possible, at some points my feet were lifted off the ground as they moved and I prayed that no one would notice the way we were walking. We were back on the high way in a matter of minutes, headed north.

"Wait, where are we going now? Back up north? Wont they know to keep someone there just in case we come back?" Neither Alice nor Bella made any move to answer my questions. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Hello?! I think I have a right to know what the hell is going on. What are we doing?!" That seemed to get their attention rather quickly but as soon as Bella turned to face me I knew my choice of yelling hadn't been a good one. Her eyes were black and glaring as they bore into me. I felt my body cringe away in fear while I tried to mentally prepare myself for the burning I was sure would come. They had been few and far between recently, I wasn't prepared to jump into the pain again.

"Edward, there is no need to yell. We are headed back to Carlisle. We can protect you from there much better than we can from the safe house on our own." Alice broke into my terror and she slowly pushed Bella back into her seat. I could tell Bella was fighting her temper just as I was fighting mine at our situation. We had a lot more in common than I would normally like to admit.

"Okay but then your family is in danger." I stated quietly. Bella snorted and her whole body relaxed momentarily before she was full out laughing, shaking in her seat. I could see Alice smiling as she drove but she did not laugh. I had no idea what they thought was so funny. I leaned back into my seat then well Bella's laughter faded to a softer chuckling and then stopped altogether. Her eyes flickered to meet my frustrated gaze as she flipped around to face me.

"Edward, if we don't protect you the Volturi will destroy our family, through you, for what we do against them. We would be dead if we didn't protect you. At least protecting you gives us a chance at living through this and saving you from serving the Volturi. That and you wont be forced to destroy us." She chuckled again and Alice joined in this time. They were laughing at my logic but they were right, if they didn't help me they were dead so they might as well fight for me.

"Alright so my logic is flawed but I didn't think your reasoning was that funny either." I huffed before turning away from her. She just laughed harder as she turned back around to watch the road and chat with Alice. I was uncomfortable for the rest of the ride to the house, nervous and on edge concerning what was about to happen.

No matter how much they had done to prove their strength and ability I couldn't picture the Cullen's going into battle mode. I was afraid and as I thought about it I realized that I wasn't afraid for me, even though it was me they were coming for. I was afraid of losing this oddly put together family of vampires that had somehow grown into something more than just my captors.

I didn't want to sit by and watch, useless. I wanted to help fight, give them a fighting chance. I could change it all if I were turned. I could stop the Volturi with one word and they would have no choice. Yet I knew I did not want to condemn Anabelle to this life and how long could I keep it a secret or did I have to keep it a secret.

If I had the power Eleazar claimed I had then it wouldn't matter if I told her. I could either convince her it wasn't true or I could tell her when she got older and force the Volturi to let it go. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice turn all the way around to stare at me while she was driving.

"Alice! Watch the road!" I heard myself yell as my whole body twisted towards her. Maybe they couldn't die but I was still human and any accident would squish me like a bug. She looked very calm as she stared at me. It was as though I hadn't spoken.

"That... might work..." She whispered before turning around to watch the road as I had requested. Bella turned around to look at me for a moment and then turned to Alice with a frown.

"Alice! What the hell? What did you see, what is he going to do?" Alice didn't even flinch at her angry tone, her eyes never faltered from the road.

"Alice, maybe you should just tell her... I mean she has a right to know what might happen. Especially if it affects the entire family." I whispered. Bella shot me a grateful look before turning back to Alice frowning again. Alice turned her head slightly to meet Bella's gaze, almost as though she were gauging what her reaction might be. She sighed and then turned back to the road and I could see Bella tense slightly in frustration.

"Calm down would you? Edward was thinking about becoming a vampire and forcing the Volturi to stop. He could do the same thing concerning Anabelle and she would then be out of danger. He wouldn't have to kill or change her. It's not that big of a deal because unless we change him now, the Volturi will arrive while he is still changing. Even if we did change him now we don't know if he would have any control over his gift when he first woke up. Which is why I said that it _might_ work. It's better than anything we've got right now." I tried not to cringe away as Bella moved quickly to sit next to me. It was still a bit odd to see her move so quickly, especially when I wasn't expecting it.

"Right now?" She asked. Her voice was high and excited as she stared at me. All of a sudden I was being flung forward as Alice braked the car hard and parked on the side of the road. She was out of the car and pulling Bella away from me before I could blink.

"No! Bella, are you crazy!" I watched in shock as Bella twisted out of Alice's small hands and then they were facing each other, teeth bared. I shivered at the scene before me but forced myself out of the car and between the two vampires. I was willingly placing myself between them, I was now officially crazy. I lifted my hands up, as though that would stop them from going around me or plowing right through me.

"Guys, we have to go. We have to get back before the Volturi find us or all of your work so far will be pointless." I tried to keep my voice from wavering but I was too nervous for it too work. I was as good as dead where I was standing as I looked into the seething black anger and frustration in Bella's gaze. I reached out slowly towards her, letting my hand touch her cheek gently and watched as she jolted back slightly. The black started to fade to her normal sea green while my body started to shake violently as the adrenaline and the nerves crashed over me.

Alice was quick to grab me and help me back to the car so I could calm down while Bella just stared at the two of us for a moment. She looked a bit lost, like she didn't understand what had just happened or why. I hated that she was so lost and I wasn't sure why I hated it. All I knew was that I wanted her to be okay, I wanted her past to change so she could be normal and happy. She deserved that because, no matter what circumstances we had met under, she had come to save me from that pain she knew all too well.

I couldn't really explain why I was so invested in her well being. Maybe it was the lack of pain I had gone through in the past few weeks that had warmed me up to her. She could be so beautiful inside and out; she could be kind when her anger wasn't in the way. I was finding it easier and easier to accept the dark side of her as I experienced more of the light side.

The past few days had given me a glimpse into who she may have been before she had changed, before the Volturi had gotten their hands on her, and that only gave me more incentive to get away from the Volturi.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" My eyes snapped up only to find myself staring into her sea green eyes. She smiled but did not break our gaze. I felt myself move a little closer to her, like I was being tugged towards her. The electricity had returned, flowing through me as I fought to control the emotions running through me. Alice cleared her throat loudly enough to catch my attention.

Bella blinked and leaned back slightly, clearly embarrassed by her actions. I sighed quietly and closed my eyes for a moment.

"I was thinking about you. About the light side of you I sometimes see. You don't deserve what happened to you. You deserve to be that happy person that you once were. I just was thinking about that." I'm not sure why I told her what I was thinking but I realized almost immediately that I had just revealed what I knew. Bella froze where she was for a moment, a look of complete shock on her features. I tried to look as innocent as possible but I knew it wasn't going to help.

"What do _you_ know about _my_ past?" she hissed, her eyes darkening slightly. I could see Alice tense up, her eyes wide in panic as she tried to ignore what was going on. She couldn't fight this battle for me and I wasn't about to rat Alice out. Not if I could help it.

"You were changed by the Volturi. They enslaved you, just like they want to do to me. You escaped with Eleazar's help and now here you are." I tried what I had done without thinking earlier. I reached up slowly as I spoke to touch her hand. She didn't move, didn't even acknowledge my movements.

"I was thinking about the fact that you didn't deserve that. When I first met you I may have agreed with what they did but now... well you are my savior, my salvation. You are the one who is keeping me from the same fate you understand all too well." My tone had taken on a more admiring quality as I spoke quietly to her. I could see the anger fade slowly from her eyes but it was replaced by a much more heartbreaking looking.

"I'm a killer, Edward. I don't save people, I destroy them. Vampire and human alike have died under my powers without a second thought on my part. I am death itself. That is what I was trained to do and it is what I will always be." Her voice was low, defeated, and her eyes held all the self-loathing that had built up after so many centuries of undead existence. I wanted to protest her declarations but I wasn't sure it would help the situation. Would she consider believing me, a mere human?

"You are saving me right now. You are keeping me from being enslaved and you have done so with countless others. You and your family are helping and that has to count for something." I felt her tug her hand from mine and turn around without any response, as though she was fighting to keep from believing what I was saying. Of course it couldn't be that easy, nothing was ever that easy with Bella. Alice stared at me for a moment, a small smile playing on her lips, before she focused back on the road. I was surprised she hadn't tried to butt into the conversation.

When we arrived back at the house Bella was silent. She didn't speak to me at all, she didn't speak to anyone really. It was mostly Alice who had to relay what had happened. As soon as it was decided that the Volturi would return within the next three days the Cullen's turned to defenses and battle mode. I raised the question of turning me, which seemed to catch Bella's attention momentarily before she was back to being a statue.

They took a vote, as they seemed to do with everything concerning me. Jasper was extremely enthusiastic about the idea. He believed that even if I did not awake right away, if they could hold the Volturi back long enough, then I would awake and stop them. It was a battle advantage and that was the way Jasper worked. He would do anything to help them win. Alice couldn't be sure it would happen that way but she wanted me to be changed in the long run as it was. She thought of me as family.

The vote turned out to be the majority in favor of changing me. Bella didn't vote, though we all knew how she felt about it. The only one who disagreed was Rosalie since she didn't trust me and she didn't want me to be a part of the family. I was pretty sure she didn't trust my gift-to-be either, though most everyone was skeptical about it.

"Okay, so we have majority vote, who gets to change him?" Emmett's booming voice inquired. He stood and bounded towards me, making me duck. He just laughed as Esme shot him a disapproving look. I tried to keep calm as the discussed my change.

"Wait, wait. Don't I get a say?" All of the Cullen's turned to look at me, even Bella. I stepped forward then, into the circle of vampires. I turned to each of them, letting the question hang in the air before Carlisle spoke.

"Actually, I think he should be able to choose who changes him. At least he can try and if that person is willing then it will be done." The rest of the family nodded, except Rosalie. She sat, arms crossed, frown in place, in one of the love seats with Emmett. I smiled at Carlisle in gratitude and then whirled around quickly to face Bella.

"I want you to change me." I stated quietly. I was surprised that Emmett was silent then. He didn't laugh or crack any jokes and the rest of the Cullen's seemed shocked at my choice. I hadn't made my dislike of Bella a secret. Only Alice looked pleased with my choice, but she had seen us in the car. The way we had interacted and what I had revealed to Bella. I could see the shock register first in Bella's eyes and then there was a plethora of emotion. Anger, happiness, confusion, sadness, acceptance, excitement; it was hard to keep up with what she may be thinking about my request.

"I... I... don't know." She managed before she looked away. I didn't mind letting her think about it for a while.

"I'll be upstairs. I'm tired." None of the Cullen's argued, the room was silent as I made my way to my room. As soon as I was up the first flight of stairs Jasper was planning again for the battle. He wanted to decide where it should be, if we would fight here or keep it away from the town. That was the last I heard before I was climbing the next set of stairs and falling into my bed in exhaustion. It had been another very long day and I hadn't had time to rest, even in the car ride back.

It was a dark, dreamless sleep which surprised me. I had expected to toss and turn in the nightmares of my decision but I knew what I was doing was right. I couldn't just sit around useless and somehow, during all of this, I had grown to accept, even want, to change. Part of it was Bella but I knew it also had a lot to do with the entire Cullen family. I had learned to trust them in the time I had been here. I wanted to protect them and even stay with them until I could take my sister out of my parents care.

I couldn't be sure of how long I had been asleep until there was a knock on the door to wake me up and then Bella was gliding into the room. She looked peaceful, ready for whatever she was about to say. She was carrying a small case in her hands, most likely given to her by Carlisle. She set it on the bed with a small smile and then she was climbing on as well. I sat up slowly and pushed myself back to give her some room.

"I will change you." She stated quietly, as though she didn't want to break the tense silence that had settled about us upon her entrance. I nodded in acknowledgement but didn't say a word.

"It is going to hurt but Carlisle gave me something to keep the pain down. Do you have any kind of aversion to needles?" I shook my head no and she smiled.

"Good. Then I am going to be giving you some morphine and then the venom will follow." She set up the needle and tubes quickly with the morphine. I watched, eyes wide, as she slid the needle into my arm. She didn't say a word as she let the morphine drip into my arm. It was odd to see my vision go fuzzy on the edges and then Bella was leaning me back on the pillow. Her eyes were bright, excited, as she leaned over me. She held up a larger syringe, just to show me the venom and what would be happening.

I couldn't feel much and the room was rather dark as I tried to focus solely on Bella. I could see the excitement flare in her gaze as she leaned back for a moment. I could feel a few moments of fear as she disappeared but the calm was back as soon as I could see her again. I knew then why I had chosen her.

I watched as her hand came up above my heart and came down quickly. I felt a small prick but there wasn't much else until the venom started to spread through me. That was when the burning began, just as the Cullen's had described. It started out small, something I could handle and then it escalated. I could feel the darkness pushing on me, holding me down from writhing and trying to escape the pain. I felt my eyes squeeze shut but I whipped them open again once I realized that I couldn't see Bella with them closed.

Her expression was worried and sad, as though she wished she could take away the pain. I watched her lean down, the fire eating at me so very slowly, and press her whole body against mine. It was like a cool blanket but I knew it wasn't enough because the burning was eating me from the inside out. I wanted to reach for her, to touch her again but the morphine was holding me down, keeping me silent.

I closed my eyes then, letting the darkness take over as I fought to keep myself from drowning under the onslaught of feeling. I could feel the fire as it licked through me and I fought to remember it all. Anabelle and Bella, the two most important things. I could not forget them. I would save them both with this change, I had to. I could feel my thoughts slipping though, the burning charring them into an ash and all I could feel, all I could hold onto, was the cold blanket I knew was Bella beside me.

She was the salvation I needed, for Anabelle and myself.

* * *

**Hmm... :) I'm excited, hope you are too!**

**Reviews? Pretty please with a cherry on top!**


	10. Immortal Day

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight.**

**Chapter 9:**** Immortal Day**

"It's clearing up. Yes... clearing up quickly now." It was a familiar voice, magnified somehow as I burned but the name would not come to mind. The burning was taking over my reasoning abilities. The feeling was intensifying, centralizing into my heart, pushing it faster as I fought to calm it down.

"Will he... what about?" Why couldn't they finished their sentences? The bell-like voice was not clearing up my confusion, only making it worse. I wanted to growl at them, to shake whoever was speaking but I refused to move until the burning stopped. Would it ever stop? They seemed to think so.

"It will be close, it all depends on his choice." There were footsteps then, my hearing was expanding to accommodate what was around me and I could hear the movements of whoever was around me. I could hear those who occupied the rest of the house I was in and yet it expanded further until I was listening to the soft scratching of the animals around the house.

I held my body on lockdown as the thumping increased, my heart racing faster and faster as I endured the burning. I could hear the way the people moved, as though they were preparing for something. I felt my curiosity burn through the pain for a moment as I wondered what they could be preparing for.

"Bella, please... we need you down here. They will be here any moment." The voice couldn't have been speaking above a normal conversational tone but I could hear the desperation in it. The same voice that had been speaking only moments before in the same room I occupied. _Bella_. The name resonated within me as whatever I was laying on lifted slightly. I could hear her soft footsteps as she glided towards the beckoning voice.

I felt the sudden urge to cry out, to call her back to me. Her presence was one I had taken for granted as I had burned and now she was gone to face God only knows what fate.

"You have disobeyed us, you have broken the law. You have taken what was rightfully ours." The voice was calm as I spoke and I tried to pay attention through the pain. I hadn't heard the car pull up. It was in that moment that I felt my heart squeeze out it's last beat before it stilled within my chest. I tried to pull in a breath, to sooth the sudden ache in my throat, but the whistling of air down my throat did nothing to relieve the burn. I stopped breathing, reveling in the taste of the room around me. I could taste _her._

"He is not your property. He has the right to make his own choice. We have done nothing wrong here. The secret is kept, that is all that you ask." Another familiar, male, voice spoke calmly but I could not put a name to it. I stretched out my fingers, curiously exploring the power I could feel running through my new body. I heard a sharp intake of breath and my eyes flew open to glance about the room. Yet the noise came from downstairs as I relaxed once more, curious to know more about what was going on downstairs that would cause such a reaction.

"Wrong, we came for him, to protect our kind. You have created a monster, something that cannot be controlled. For that you must be destroyed. Though, _Bella_, I will gladly accept you back into our ranks should you choose to forfeit." The voice was light, papery, as he spoke. I heard a growl reverberate through the room and found myself up against the wall in the next moment. I wanted to laugh when I realized that the growl had come from me. I was not pleased that this strange man was going to destroy the familiar voices. I certainly did not like the idea of him taking Bella.

There was a pause downstairs and I knew they could hear me. I could hear a few of the strangers step forward, crouching to pounce on the familiar voices. That was when the screaming and writhing began. I clamped my hands to my ears in an effort to block it out but it did no good. They were going to torture the only thing I understood in this new world. I could feel my anger rising, my whole body shifting into a crouch as I tried to block out the screaming.

I could concentrate on anything except my anger as my body automatically reacted. Next thing I knew I was standing at the top of the stairs.

"_**Freeze.**_" I froze, waiting for whoever had told me to do so. The screaming died in that moment as those downstairs froze as well. I opened my mouth again in an attempt to voice my confusion.

"I..." My mouth snapped shut. That voice... I was the one who had told them to freeze. I felt my lips curl as I bared my teeth in a large smile. My voice was new too. I guess that made sense. I could hear a small giggle erupt from the main floor as I made my way down the stairs to a most curious scene. Near the door stood a trio of my kind and in a half circle in front of them stood, what I assumed to be, their guard. All of them stood frozen, their eyes trained on where I stood. It was almost comical, the fear their eyes held. I swallowed back my humor. My eyes wandered, taking in the familiar voices that stood close together in the center of the room.

They too were frozen, watching me, though the fear was absent in their eyes. My body went ramrod straight as the fuzzy memories started to surface. Edward... my name... Anabelle... my parents... Isabella... Bella... Alice... I knew their names and I knew the strangers were the Volturi. I wanted to shout for joy. I had beaten them to the punch and they were now helpless under my power. I was now heady with the power as I looked over my enemies. I caught a glimpse of Alice's form on the floor.

She had been the one screaming, I knew, somehow. She had also been the one to giggle. She had known that her screams would make me do what I did. Clever girl. I let my gaze wander again, finally taking in each individual face as I recalled the memories attached to them. My breath caught as my gaze met a sea green eyes I knew all too well. I could see them clearly even through the fuzz of my human memories.

_Bella_. The intense emotions swirling through me at the mere thought of her name made me want to dance but I knew it would not be prudent in that moment to be dancing. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me, her full lips slightly parted. I wanted to touch her, to prove she was real. Through all the good and bad, I was finally starting to understand why she was the way she was. I breathed in a large, unnecessary, breath. It took all my concentration to break our gaze and turn back to the invaders.

"You need to leave, crawl back to your sewers or I will kill you... all of you." My head snapped over as Alice tried to get my attention, clear her throat as best she could in her frozen state. Apparently I was doing something wrong. I need to unfreeze some of them. I felt my frustration build as I tried to remember how I had done it the first time. We would be here forever if I didn't figure it out. The first time I had been angry... I thought back to those feelings, letting them crash over me as I fought to control what came out of my mouth.

"_**Alice, come here please. Bella, Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Esme you may move **__**about freely.**_" I let my anger seep away as the Cullen's breathed sighs of relief before moving to stand around the Volturi guard and the trio of leaders. Alice was quick to hop up from her position of the floor and appear before me with a wide smile.

"Welcome to... whatever this is." Her grin grew impossibly wider as she hopped around in front of me. She had just as much energy as she did before my change. I bit back a laugh, keeping my expression serious. We had a job to do. I lowered my voice so she would be the only one to hear.

"What do I do now?" I could tell she wanted to laugh at my inexperience. She reigned it in though. Even she knew that my gift would be difficult, especially since no one really knew quite how it worked. The only one who did know had been destroyed centuries ago. I could feel my worry and stress building up again, overtaking the constant ache in the back of my throat. Alice stilled for a moment, placing one hand lightly on my arm. I felt an unbidden smile cross my features.

She was trying to keep me calm. She didn't like to see me stressed out any more than I did.

"Well. You can either order them to leave and never come back to bother us again. Of course, you must be careful, make sure it's fool proof or they will be back. Or we can kill them all and see how Volterra fairs without it's leaders. Unless... _you_ would like to take their place." She sounded hopeful as she looked up at me but I immediately stepped out from her hand, my body freezing again. This time in fear. I was not a leader. I could not be a leader. Her expression softened as she observed my reaction. I tried to relax again but it was impossible.

"I don't want to kill them and I cannot take over. I am not a leader, Alice. If the first option is what I am willing to do... then how do we make it fool proof?" She resumed her bouncing then, smiling at me, as she stepped back. I could feel the tendrils of trepidation grow. The look in her eye was disconcerting.

"I think you can figure it out, Edward. I think you can come up with something. We have eternity." She whispered, a glint in her eye. I could feel my anger rising to the challenge, my frustration with her non-helpful helpfulness. She hopped over to Jasper, throwing her arms around him with a wide smile. His expression held nothing but love and devotion for her. I tried to remember if I had noticed such things when I was human.

It was fuzzy though, all of it was so obscure. I shook my head, fighting back another growl of frustration. I wasn't getting anywhere with this. As soon as I made the conscious choice I found myself back up in my room, pacing in agitation. It didn't change anything though. I could still hear them, their whispers as I vanished up the stairs.

"Moody little bugger, isn't he?" Emmett commented. I could almost see the shit-eating grin on his face as he said it. I wanted to run down their and make him do something really stupid just to wipe the grin off his face. I could feel my fists clenched at my sides as I paced. At that thought I froze. This was the fear, this was why I didn't think I could do this. With a temper like mine...

I didn't want to abuse the power I had but it was a big possibility that if I got too angry, I would. Strip it down to the basics and my power is to take away free will. I will be doing to others what was done to me. Though it turned out for the best... I was a prisoner and I know how awful that can be. I could feel my frustration ebb away and I moved to stand by the window, gazing out into the backyard. They had such a sprawling property, so light and _human_.

_Which I was only a few days ago._

I shook my head, clearing it from such thoughts. I had made my choice and I would follow it through, just as I did with everything else. I let my thoughts lull, letting them run on their own as my hearing gave me a small preview into the world around me, the one I had never experienced as a human. I could hear the scurrying in the surrounding forest, the pulse of something, wet and welcoming. I swallowed reflexively, the raging ache surfacing as I listened to the blood pulsing and pushing.

My whole body began to tense, coiling up. I would break through this window if it would satiate this horrid burn. In that moment Alice had her hands on both sides of my face, her golden eyes staring into me as she spoke. I could hear what she was saying, it wasn't making sense. It didn't matter. I briefly considered forcing her to step away from me and her eyes widened. She could see it too. That brought me up short. My body uncoiled and I stepped from her grasp.

I didn't want to take away her free will, not when there was no harm in what she was doing. She was trying to help me. I opened my mouth but her hand covered it before I could get the words out.

"No apologies, Edward. Believe me, we are all surprised you have lasted this long, most cannot. I would let you go bounding off into the forest but we do still have a situation downstairs. Try to focus." Her last three words were in a mere whisper as she pulled her hand away. I smiled at her though it was short lived.

"Thank you, Alice. For being so kind to me, for being my friend." I watched as a grin spread across her pixie features. She looked like she wanted to hug me or jump up and down. She couldn't seem to decide, so she merely stood in front of me.

"You know... it isn't often that I am surprised... but you've just managed to surprise me." She smiled again and then began skipping towards the bed to sit down. It was so human. I felt no need to sit, my body was strangely comfortable standing. I hadn't had any thought of sitting until Alice had done so. I sighed softly. I had so much to learn. I moved quickly and sat down beside her. Her expression was now very serious, any trace of happiness or humor having vanished at whatever was running through her mind.

"Okay, enough of the bonding. Time to figure out what your going to do with our intruders." Her voice was low again, keeping our words from the aforementioned intruders. I tried to relax but the whole idea was stressing me out.

"I'm going to help you. I shouldn't have left you to do it on your own. Not that you couldn't... it's just that your so new. I can see how it would be difficult. Okay... so we want them to leave and leave us all alone. What to say that would make sure they can't get around it?" She began tapping her fingers to her chin as she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. I felt laughter bubble up and fought to keep it back. She was just so tiny and with the determined expression it was actually comical.

"You mind as well just laugh. I can already see you laughing." I could feel the laughter bubbling out of my mouth as she merely continued thinking. Only Alice... The laughter trickled away as I tried to focus on the task at hand.

"Okay... how about... I name them and then say 'you will leave this house and never return. You will never see the Cullen's again nor will you see me. You will not try to contact us, nor will you send anyone outside of this group to hunt us down. You will cause us no harm.'" I watched Alice hopefully. She didn't move for a few minutes as she mouthed the words over and over, searching for a hole. I watched as her eyes glazed over, no doubt seeing something. It was quickly, harmless as she opened her eyes again, looking at me clearly.

"That _should_ work for now. I can't be 100% sure but if they come back we will just beat them back again. Oh and I would add in that they should not speak of what happened here to anyone." That sounded about right. I smiled and ruffled her hair lightly. She squealed and smacked my hand away before darting out of the room to the first floor. I followed behind her at a more leisurely pace, taking my time as I planned out my words. Once I was half-way down the stairs I stopped, searching for Alice. She smiled at me in encouragement.

I worked, for a moment, on focusing my gift. I didn't want to have to be angry every time I wanted to use it.

_**"Tell me your names."**_ My voice rang out across the silent room. I listened as they gave me their names in soft whispers, angry that they were unable to refuse me. I catalogued them away for future reference and then began my commands.

_**"Aro, Caius, Marcus, Jane, Alec, Demetri, Felix, and Renata, all of you shall leave this house and never return. You will never come to see the Cullen's again. Nor shall you come to see me. You will not try to contact us, nor will you send anyone outside of this group to hunt us down. You will cause us no harm. Lastly, none of you shall ever speak to anyone, not even each other, of what happened here nor why you can here."**_

I watched, a triumphant smile on my face, as the group shuffled out of the foyer and back into their cars to go to Volterra. I had saved the day, sort of. I stepped down into the living room and Alice practically bowled me over in a hug as she whispered her congratulation to me.

"Now, would you like to go hunting?" She inquired, stepping back from me and taking Jasper's hand. The thought immediately had me tense as I tried to control my reaction. How had I managed to forget about it for so long? I could feel waves of calm being sent in my direction and smiled at Jasper in thanks. I had never really gotten to know Jasper, having only really met him once with very little interaction afterward.

I smiled and Alice leapt away from me, towards the back door. We were running into the surrounding forest in seconds and I was finally able to test out the resource of strength that was constantly running through me. I stretched out my strides, pushing faster and faster until Alice and Jasper were far behind me. I was surprised to experience the ease with which I was able to run. I could have gone on like that forever but Alice's voice floated to me through the trees.

"Edward! Were you planning on running to Antarctica?!" I chuckled at her words, entirely set on seeing how long it would take to get to Antarctica until the burn flared up again and I flipped myself around to run back to Alice. I stopped in front of her incredulous eyes, our noses almost touching. I couldn't help my reaction and I began to laugh, full out belly laughing at her expression. She turned back to Jasper, confusion evident in her expression.

"I can't be sure if it is the newborn part of you or what but you are faster than any of us have ever been. Even as newborns." Jasper commented with a smile. He hugged Alice to him for a moment and then let go. He was ready to hunt.

"Okay, take a whiff. What do you smell?" Alice inquired. Jasper vanished into the surrounding trees. Apparently he had found something to his liking. I took a deep, unnecessary, breath through my nose, letting the smells assault my senses. I wrinkled my nose in distaste. It wasn't quite what the monster inside was calling for.

"There is a herd of deer very close to here but they don't smell very good." I commented quickly. Alice chuckled at my observation.

"Of course they don't. Do you smell anything else?" I filled my lungs again and froze for a second before vanishing into the trees. Alice was hot on my trail as she spoke to me.

"Smells better doesn't it?" She inquired. I didn't bother answering. I could hear it's blood, pulsing hot and sweet through it's veins. The smell was not repulsive like the deer. My brain screamed out predator but whatever was in front of me was about to become my prey. I could feel myself pulling away from Alice before she halted completely. No doubt to find her own hunt.

I stopped trying to think about Alice as I crouched down behind the large cat that was stalking it's own prey. A low growl rumbled through my chest and the mountain lion turned sharply to roar back at me, warning me away from his own catch. He was my catch, I roared back and pounced for him. I threw back my head and laughed as his claws ripped through my shirt and bounced harmlessly off my chest. It felt like a feather across my stone body as I twisted his neck.

As soon as I had broken his neck my teeth were tearing through skin and muscle to the jugular to get at the hot, pulsing, blood within. I could feel it run down my throat, soothing the burn though not quite eliminating it. I dropped the carcass into the dirt and jumped up to go find Alice. I froze as my eyes took in my appearance, my clothes dripping in blood. I sighed. Alice would not be pleased though I could see how she expected me to be neat and clean. I had never done this before.

"Argh, of course you wrecked your clothes." I whirled around, my eyes wide as Alice leaned against Jasper with a grin. I jumped at her to knock her down but she dodged out of the way. Of course, she could see me coming before I even did it. I changed course and landed gracefully on my feet. Jasper chuckled and shook his head.

"You'll never catch her," He tapped his head with another laugh, "I've tried."

I beat both Alice and Jasper back to the house by half a minute but they didn't seem to mind as we returned to the living room laughing at Alice's antics. My eyes searched the room quickly for Bella but there was no sign of her. Alice watched me, her expression knowing as I shrugged my shoulders and moved farther into the room.

"Edward!" Esme ran up to me and threw her arms around me. Alice started cracking up silently beside Jasper who looked like he was fighting laughter as well. Carlisle smiled at his wife, the love clear in his eyes.

"Welcome to the family. Well I mean if you would like to stay." She let me go, startled as the sound of glass shattering emanated from the kitchen. Alice got there first, no doubt having seen it happen, but we were all close behind her as we ran to the kitchen. I felt my whole being tug as Alice moved to clean up the glass on the floor in front of a frozen Bella. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared at us. Before anyone could say a word she vanished, out of the house and into the forest.

"Don't, Edward. You'll only upset her more." Alice looked up at me as she spoke and I revised my plans to something more docile, like figuring out more about being a vampire. She looked sad and a little lost, which was different for Alice. Once the glass was cleaned up the rest of the family scattered throughout the house to go about their own activities. I had to wonder how often Bella just vanished that they could be so calm about her doing it now. I was feeling very far from calm though.

I could see the fear, clear in her eyes, but what was she afraid of? The Volturi were gone and I wasn't about to let them get at her. Ever. I sighed in frustration and exited the kitchen only to end up in the living room. I let my thoughts wander, wondering what I could possibly do with all the changes I was experiencing. I looked around the room, searching for a computer. As soon as I found one, I sat down and powered it up with a grin. This could get interesting.

I opened up the web browser and looked around the room, searching for some kind of inspiration for what I was about to try. I chuckled as the piano came into view and with that I turned to the computer. I lifted my hands to the screen and typed in 'free piano lessons'. After reading through an entire site of information, memorized in ten minutes time, I stood and moved to the piano.

I let my fingers follow what the lessons had said, letting them stroke the keys gently. I froze as I sweet melody seemed to flow out of the keys. This was unexpected, I hadn't really believed it would work. I took a deep breath and pulled out the sheet music I had memorized of Yiruma. A song called River Flows In You. I could hear Esme stop what she had been working on, the scratch of pencil on paper ceasing and she moved to the stop of the stairs.

I tried to ignore the fact that I had an audience, letting the music flow through me. It was calming when I was feeling so agitated over Bella's disappearance. I closed my eyes, visualizing what I was playing. I let it morph and change into something I hadn't memorized, something far more personal. This melody was coming from my own mind. The notes held all the anger, frustration, and care I felt towards my ex-kidnapper.

Most everyone on the property had stopped what they were doing, laying down their tools or pulling away from their soul mates to listen. I let the music surround me, the shock wearing off into joy as I let my subconscious weave a complex melody of the emotions I couldn't understand. As the last note rang out I dropped my hands from the piano, staring out into the gathering darkness.

"I didn't know you could play the piano, Edward." Esme's soft, motherly, voice spoke from behind me. I sighed, placing my hands back on the keys, as another melody began to run through my mind.

"Neither did I," I whispered before a new melody began under my fingers. I pulled my fingers off the keys when I realized who the melody was for.

"Don't stop." Esme pleaded, placing one comforting hand on my shoulder. I smiled up at her. I wasn't going to let her hear the song I knew was for her until it was perfect. It was a song for the mother I never had. I went back to the previous melody, the one that had vented all of my feelings about my first immortal day, the day that would never truly end.

I stood after that and the occupants of the house went back to their original tasks. What could I do when things came so easily? I could learn everything I wanted to know in a 24 hour time period. So, with that, I decided to do something that wouldn't require any amount of thinking on my part. I pulled out the video game consoles and played until the moon had risen high in the sky.

Bella still had not returned as I finally switched the games off, feeling no better than I had hours earlier. My thoughts turned to Anabelle. I missed my baby sister, more than anything as I considered what she may have been going through without me to protect her. I could hear Alice scrambling up from her computer and heading in my direction.

"Edward..." Her tone was warning me that I was pushing my luck. She knew, just as well as I did, that I couldn't see Anabelle just yet. I wasn't ready for it yet. I had yet to run across the scent of a human, let alone had any practice fighting the lure of their blood. Alice froze at the top of the stairs, waiting to see if the future would continue with me in the house.

I wanted to go hunting, alone. She sighed in frustration but made no move to stop me.

"If you change your mind, I will know." She whispered as I ran out the back door and into the surrounding trees.

"Don't go south," She called to me before I was out of ear shot. I changed my direction slightly, letting my run take over every other thought in my mind. The wind trying to rip at my stone body, useless against my strength. I bowled over a tree in an effort to release some of the tension I was feeling but it folded under my power. I howled to the stars, unleashing my anger on the twinkling sky. I took a deep breath and screamed again, letting it reverberate through the darkness surrounding me.

I could hear the anguish in my screams and I let myself go, let the emotions ebb from my body as I took it out on the midnight. I took a deep breath through my nose and let my muscles do all the work as I sped off into the forest towards my prey. My mind was blissfully quiet for the first time since I had completed the change, reveling in the lack of emotion in my body as it floated to the bright moon overhead.

* * *

**Where has Bella gone? hmmm...**

**It seems there are some speed bumps ahead. hehe Gotta love speed bumps. :)**

**Reviews? Would be wonderful! Let me know what you think about Edward's adventures.  
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	11. Clues

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight.**

**If there is anyone still reading this story, I lay myself at your feet with my deepest apologies. It has been three months since an update and there is no excuse for that much of a time lapse so I hope you can forgive me.**

**The characters are finally speaking to me again. That being said, I would like to update this story every two weeks or so.**

**And, now that I'm done blabbering, read on and enjoy.  
**

**Chapter 10:**** Clues**

Time had begun to blur already. There was no reason to keep track of the days as they passed since I had an innumerable amount of them to live. If I wanted to I could have pulled up the exact days, hours, minutes, and seconds that had passed but I didn't want to know. I spent a lot of my time running while Alice made sure I didn't go far enough to find myself in the presence of a human. We hadn't even talked about them just yet. I had wondered briefly about going to a town nearby but Alice had immediately shot that down by tackling me to the floor.

The feral reaction to her sudden attack had surprised me so much so that I had locked myself in my room for a while, refusing to come out until I had gained control of myself. I spent at least a week in that room before I even considered opening the door.

The worst part of the day was around twilight, as the sun began to sink below the trees each day, when all I could think about was that Bella had yet to return to the house. How long had it been?

_Two months, four days,17 hours, 23 minutes, and 56 seconds _since the moment she ran out the door. I leaned back slightly from the whir of the saw blade before pushing it through the wood below it. Esme had been forced to throw away three saws before I had been able to grasp it without smashing it to bits. The handle on the one I was using was a bit dented but that wouldn't cause any problems. I could hear Esme gathering up a few beams around the side of the house as I worked at cutting them the correct length.

It had taken me over a month to realize that sitting around and moping about being stuck in seclusion was not going to make my life any better.

I had eternity and I knew if I didn't start doing something with my time I would drive myself mad. Alice had been the catalyst to my realization that day.

_"Edward." A hand appeared on my arm as I stared at the book in front of me, not really reading it. Before I knew what I was doing, I had Alice pinned on the ground. I could see the fear in her expression and I froze. A moment later I clambered off of her, moving into the farthest corner of the room to get my inner predator to lay back down._

_ "I didn't mean... Alice... I'm-" She held up a hand, her expression more determined than I had ever seen it._

_ "I don't want to hear it, Edward. You know, if you stopped moping around and feeling sorry for yourself all the time, you would learn to control yourself much sooner. You chose this. Keep that in mind. Do something productive at least." I flinched back at the harsh tone to her words and her expression softened._

_ "We don't want to have changed you for nothing, Edward. We want you to enjoy the time you've been given. Give it a chance. Things will work out, you'll see." She didn't stick around to see my reaction, choosing instead to vanish out the door to her computer, and I slid to the floor in my corner. I wanted to explain to her my reasoning but anything I came up with seemed flimsy and entirely childish._

It was at that point that I picked myself up off the floor and went to Esme to see if I could help her with whatever home design project she was working on at the time. That was also the point were I let the days register and time began to have meaning again. I still let things blur and slide but I knew if I let it go completely I would spend the rest of eternity in seclusion. At least, if I worked and practiced using my new strengths, I would be able to find a way to live out my eternity in happiness rather than depression.

"That is perfect, Edward. You really are getting much better at this!" Esme patted me on the back lightly as she walked past with a few large beams in her arms. It was still a bit odd to me to see her lifting items that should have been four or five times her weight. The small scraps of human mentality that had crossed over during my change had a hard time reconciling what I saw everyday with what it thought was logical but I was slowly getting used to it. I was sure that in time that part of me would fade, though it would never vanish completely because as soon as I was able to withstand my own thirst I would be taking care of my baby sister, Anabelle. I hoped that she would be the one to keep me grounded in the human world.

I picked up the pieces that I had already cut and handed them to Esme.

"Come with me, I'll show you what I'm going to do with these and then you can try. Okay?" I smiled and nodded. I was curious about what she was building. I had never built anything in my life. We had already put down the foundation and the beams around the edge of the structure. Esme was starting to work on the skeleton for the roof. I had helped her lay the foundation and watched in fascination as it dried. We had put up the beams rather quickly around the large cement base and now Esme was grabbing a hold of the roof skeleton she had put together.

She motioned for me to grab the opposite end.

"Spread your arms out wide and grab the edges there. We are going to pick this up and place it on the beams. Then, while I hold it in place, you are going to nail it to the beams." I froze, surprised that she wanted me to do something as delicate as nailing. I wasn't even sure if I could hold onto the nail gun without breaking it.

"I know you have yet to use the nail gun but only I know the exact placement of the roof and I know you can do this." I nodded, still unsure but willing to try anything for Esme. I wanted to make her happy and it always felt good to have her tell me that she was proud of me. It was an affirmation I rarely received at home. Things were just too chaotic there for anyone to notice individual accomplishments.

"One, two, three, lift!" I was careful not exert much force in my lifting or all of Esme's hard work would go flying into the forest behind her. It didn't take long for us to place the beam structure on it's foundation and then Esme was handing me the nail gun. I let my fingers curl around the handle slowly and tighten just as slowly so I wouldn't break it. After a minute or so I stepped up to the structure, which Esme held it down, and placed the nail gun where she indicated before shooting it into the wood.

I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face as I moved to the next beam and nailed it in without difficulty. I wanted to flip from beam to beam and I knew I could if I so chose but I absolutely did not want to ruin something that I had just done so well on. As soon as I had nailed down the rest of the beams, Esme was hugging me and congratulating me on doing so well. Alice congratulated me for my newest accomplishment as she continued her online shopping extravaganza while Emmett merely laughed at all the commotion concerning something that was so simple for him. He had been bugging me, ever since my change, to wrestle. He was so sure that he would be able beat me. Alice assured me that if I wrestled him within the first year of my change that he would lose.

I had considered fighting him a few times but I had yet to actually go through with it. Everything was so new, so different, and yet they all went about life as if it were normal. I suppose, to them, this life was completely normal. It had been quite some time since they had known anything else but being vampires. I often wished I could skip this stage of confusion and overall lack of control. I wanted to see my sister again and make sure she was okay.

To add to that, Bella still had not returned. I wanted to believe that it was merely because she wanted to travel but the day she left was still burned into my brain. I was sure that I was the cause of her departure. I had replayed that day over and over, hoping for some kind of clue but there was nothing. I had no way of knowing why she did what she did until she explained it – if she would ever explain it. I couldn't even be sure that I would see her again. She could be gone forever and I would never know for sure.

"Edward, would you like to go hunting today?" I looked up to find Alice standing right in front of me. She looked so happy and carefree as she stood before me. I smiled but took a small step back. She was standing much too close for comfort.

"Sure. Is it just the two of us?"

"Actually," I turned to see Carlisle standing behind me, "I'd like it if you joined me. Alice went yesterday with the rest of the family."

I wondered momentarily why Carlisle, of all people, would want me to come with him. Every since my change I had seen him all of three times. We had barely spoken since the day the Volturi had come to destroy us all. He seemed like a nice guy but I hadn't known him too well as a human either so I didn't have much to go on. We were silent for a while as we ran, taking in the scents of forest and listening to the sounds of the critters of the trees moving about. It wasn't until after we had hunted that Carlisle stopped and sat down on a fallen tree.

His expression was dark and brooding as he watched a herd of deer move through the forest about one hundred yards away. I decided to just bite the bullet, so to speak, and ask him what was wrong. I certainly did not want to seem uninterested in whatever he had to say.

"Is something wrong, Carlisle?" He took a deep breath and turned towards me finally with a small smile. He seemed sad somehow and I knew I was missing some vital piece of information.

"Well, not exactly. Edward, I wanted to apologize for having been so distant from you since your change. I haven't even taken the time to get to know you. I have been rather preoccupied with if what we did was the right thing and, of course, there is Bella to think of. I am worried about my family and how we are going to fare after all of this. I needed to say that I'm sorry because you deserve to be a part of this family and I think that hasn't been happening as much as it should. Could we start over?" I wasn't sure what he meant by start over but I nodded. He smiled, stood up, and held out one hand to me.

"Hello, my name is Carlisle Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you." I chuckled and stood up as well. I took his hand in mine and shook it.

"Good to meet you, Carlisle. My name is Edward." He chuckled as well and we both smiled at the irony of what we were doing. This was purely silly but at least now we could get to know each other better.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself, Edward. Where are you from? What do you like to do?" We turned and made our way into the trees so we could walk and talk. I told him all about my friends in high school and how I could kind of remember them. I told him about my parents and that my mom could be abusive sometimes. Then I told him about Anabelle and how much I missed her. Carlisle reassured me that I would be able to take care of her soon enough. In about a year or two I would be ready to reintroduce myself into her life. I knew he was right and I was glad he had enough faith in me to believe I could see her so soon.

"What about you, Carlisle? Where are you from? How long have you been this way?" I wasn't sure where we were anymore. We had been walking through our entire conversation. Did it matter how far we went? Were we anywhere near civilization? I pushed those thoughts from my mind as Carlisle explained how he had been changed, being chased by vampires, and how he starved for years until he had realized he could drink from animals. He recalled how he met the Volturi and his time there. They had spent many years trying to convert him from his vegetarian ways.

I could see the joy and love in his eyes as he told me of Esme and how they first met. He didn't tell me how she ended up in the morgue, citing that it was her story to tell, but the overall sadness at the thought of Esme not existing was even affecting me as he spoke. Esme, along with Alice, had accepted me so quickly and thoroughly that I found myself considering her more of a mother than my true mother. She was kind, gentle, and loving. In that moment I found myself wanting to hear all about how Esme ended up here with Carlisle and her vampire family.

"Carlisle... can I ask you something?" I didn't realize that I had stopped until Carlisle stopped as well and turned to face me. He quirked one eyebrow and waited.

"When I was human, Alice told me about Bella's past. I was wondering what you think about her and if you knew why she ran away. Will she come back?" Something in his expression shifted as I spoke. He looked genuinely upset and saddened by whatever he was thinking about. Before I could ask anything else he motioned for me to continue on our walk.

"You know, our family truly doesn't know much about Bella. We accept her and we all love her but we also fear her. For a vampire, Bella is very powerful, just as you are, and she is unafraid to use her powers. When Bella was changed, as you know, she was placed in a very horrid environment. It was an environment where she was a slave to those around her, just as they wanted to do to you. I am almost certain that this is what triggered such a strong reaction in her to turn you. Your situation reminded her of the one she was in and she wanted to save you from that. That being said, I think Bella is lost. I think she is still very much affected by what happened to her in Italy and she doesn't know how to deal with it. She takes the power she now wields and uses it to make herself feel free and able to make her own choices. She is still desperately afraid that they will lock her up and throw away the key. The question of 'will she come back' is one I have asked myself a thousand times. We just don't know." We hadn't walked very far when Carlisle stopped and chose another fallen tree to sit on. I sat down beside him and waited for him to continue.

"I have tried, many times, to get through to her, to show her that she had a group of people here who love and care for her but she is not one to listen. Until she realizes these things on her own and accepts them, she will never truly be comfortable with us. It's getting late, shall we head back home?" I nodded in agreement and we stood to run back home. I knew that I could beat Carlisle home if I so chose but I still had a few more questions.

"So, essentially, taking away Bella's control is the reason why she overreacts sometimes? Wait..." I froze, coming to a complete halt. If Bella's biggest fear was having her control taken away, well then that gave a completely new meaning to why she left that day. I ran through the day in my head once more and found it. It was the moment Esme had hugged me and told me I was welcome to stay. The glass had shattered, causing us all to jump and run to the kitchen. It was in that moment that Bella had vanished.

"Edward, son, are you okay?" I hadn't even realized Carlisle had come back for me. I blinked, trying to clear my vision and could see his worried expression.

"I just, sorry, I just realized something. I know why Bella ran away." I spoke in just a whisper, unable to speak any louder as I figured it all out.

"Carlisle... she ran because she's afraid of me. She's afraid of my gift, the fact that I can control those around me. If I order her to do something, she would have to obey and that would take away her freedom and put her right back where she was when she was with the Volturi." Understanding dawned on his features as I pushed myself from stand still to a full sprint towards the house. I needed to speak to Alice, to see if she knew where Bella went to. I had to find her and bring her back. I had to tell her that I would never...

I reached the house only to find Alice waiting outside for me. She had her arms folded and her foot tapping as she stood on the front porch.

"Took you long enough. I've been waiting. What is it you needed me for?" I almost ran right into her in my haste to speak to her. Carlisle wasn't far behind but he didn't intrude, choosing instead to wait off to the side and listen in from there.

"I need you to tell me where Bella went. Where did she run off to? Did you see it in your visions?" She took a step back and shook her head 'no'.

"I can't tell you that. I'm sorry, Edward. It will only make things worse." I growled, my body tensing in frustration, as she denied me the one thing I knew I could fix.

"Alice, please don't keep this from me. I know I can fix this. I need to be able to fix this. How can I begin a new life with this kind of thing hanging over my head. I have forced her away from her home all because I didn't understand. I get it now... Please, Alice, help me." My pleas didn't seem to shake her as she watched me, her expression never changing.

We stared at each other for at least five minutes before she finally dropped her arms and smiled.

"Okay, Edward. We can go find Bella but, first, you have to be able to be around humans. She is living in a very populated area. We don't want you to kill anyone, do we?" She was going to compromise with me. We both knew I wouldn't be able to fully live around humans until about two years in but if I was about to get to that point then she would tell me where Bella had ran off to. That was a fair deal, right?

"Okay, so, is that a deal? I desensitize myself from human blood and you tell me where Bella ran off to?" I held out my hand and waited for her to take it. She grinned and stepped forward, grasping my hand firmly in her own.

"Exactly right, pretty boy. You got yourself a deal."

**Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Review and let me know! Thanks for sticking around during my writing lapse. :)**

**peace & grace  
**


	12. Testing the Waters

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Hey ya'll, so I'm searching for a beta for this story. I know I need one, my grammar isn't that great. If you have any desire to beta for me that would be wonderful, please let me know. :) Either way I shall continue searching. Enjoy the chapter!  
**

**Chapter 11:**** Testing the Waters**

Alice had packed a bag that was bigger than her which I didn't understand. It wasn't like she couldn't just go out and buy more clothes if she wanted once we got there. We would be moving a lot and bringing that bag certainly seemed a little unconventional. I had thought this would move much slower than it was but apparently Alice had other plans. She told me that something was changing and, though she couldn't see exactly how this would all turn out, she was sure it would all be okay in the end. I took that as a reassurance.

Jasper had decided to come with us on our trip, unwilling to stay away from Alice for that long. I didn't know much about Jasper except that he had avoided me as a human. I hadn't really had the chance to get to know him afterward so he was still a bit of a mystery. Of course, his scars were cause to peak my curiosity. I hadn't seen them when I was human since my eyesight was so weak. Every time I saw him now I found myself wanting to ask about them, to know how he got them. Hopefully during our time away from the house I would find the courage to finally get to know him.

"Alright, I'll take your bag now, darlin'." I had been watching as Jasper expertly packed the trunk. It seemed he was fully prepared for the way Alice packed because he fit it all in there with a bit of room to spare. I was impressed, though after spending so many years with Alice I wasn't surprised he had figured out how to pack around her.

I had already said my goodbyes, promising to return as soon as I could. Both Esme and Carlisle seemed rather sad that we were leaving but I was sure they would survive. They had dealt with their family moving around ever since the family was created. It would never work if they spent all their time together, they would go crazy.

Alice was practically bouncing out of her seat as she chattered on and on about the coming weeks. I seriously considered turning back if that meant she would stop talking but the idea of never fixing the mess I had created was too frustrating. Bella shouldn't have to be afraid of her own home, her own family. I certainly wasn't going to stand in the way of the safe cocoon she had created with the Cullens and the Denali's.

In a way, Bella reminded me of Anabelle, my baby sister. They were both stuck in these places that only hurt them and brought them down. I knew I could take Anabelle away from there and give her the life she deserved and I wanted to do the same for Bella, even if it meant that I had to live on my own from now on.

"Come on, slow poke! We're here!" I was honestly startled as Alice yelled into my ear. There was no reason for her to be so loud and yet it was like she couldn't keep it in. I leaned away from her as Jasper parked the car and began to unload everything.

The cottage was in a rather secluded area, surrounded by forest, just like the home we came from. This was a safety precaution, of course. We couldn't exactly have me traipsing around the towns and cities just yet. That was a recipe for disaster and probably a massacre. At least it would be quiet here and I could work on my tolerance in peace, with somewhere to retreat to if things got out of hand.

I grabbed my bag before Jasper could get to it and made my way upstairs. I was still getting used to the fact that I didn't need the bed that was set up in the room, it was just a prop. On the other side of the room was a dresser and I quickly unpacked my clothes before moving on to the computer set up. I was going to need to find things to do to fill my time over the next year because I definitely couldn't spend all my time desensitizing myself. At least, with the computer, I could play video games and maybe take some courses to get my GED. I hadn't even finished high school yet and, although I would have to take the test in person, at least I could practice online before I took it. I would need the GED if I wanted to go on to college at some point. I was sure Alice could help me figure out how to take the test with as few people as possible, or maybe with another vampire as the proctor. Then there would be no chance of me killing them.

"I think that is a great idea, Edward! I can work it out and I'll let you know within the next few days who will administer the test for you when you're ready." I laughed as Alice butted in with her own thoughts. She must have seen my plans unfolding. I hoped everything turned out okay in that department. It would be nice to have an education if it turned out that I had to live on my own. I would need an income to support Anabelle and without a college education I wouldn't be able to do that.

After I had set everything up in my room I finally took some time to explore the house I would be living in for the next year or so. It wasn't as big as the previous house but it was plenty of space for only three people to inhabit. There were three floors, a basement, the first floor, and the top floor with all of the bedrooms. There was even a small attic at the top.

Each room was pristine, without dust or dirt so Alice must have had a cleaning service here before we arrived. The rooms were tastefully done in a style that was all Esme with the slightly odd Alice pieces lying about. The kitchen was practically empty with a few items that were non-perishable to keep up appearances and the basement was unfinished though there was a plush carpet already installed.

I immediately knew that I wanted to finish the basement. It would be a time consuming project and the amount of stuff I could learn concerning construction would be endless. That way I could build upon all the things I had learned with Esme so far. I could send her the pictures and ask questions about the different projects I would complete. It would keep my mind busy as well, my thoughts could be regulated. It was a perfect opportunity.

The rest of the house was simple enough, comfortable, and inviting. That was all I needed.

xXx

Eight months was a long time to be in one place, especially when you were still learning how to leave the house without catching the scent of any unsuspecting humans. We had dealt with a few mishaps with Alice helping guide me through them. I felt stronger and more in control as the days passed and we worked our way closer to civilization but it was still a struggle every time. So why had I chosen to go out alone on this day of all days? It must have been fate because there was no turning back now. Alice and Jasper were out for the day, shopping in the city, no doubt. There were very few days where they left me alone but this had been one of them.

There was a girl in front of me, I could smell her sweet scent hiking through the woods. I took a deep breath and growled before forcing myself up from the instinctive crouch I had dropped into. She smelled so damn good and it would be so easy to just snatch her. It would be over in an instant. The wind shifted again and her scent hit me full force. There was no going back. Before I could think it through I was running towards her. I would reach her in a few seconds and then I was standing in front of her. I could feel her blood fluctuating through body, her pulse point at her neck pulling me in. She had frozen in her tracks when she caught sight of me. She looked confused but that didn't matter. Her small voice called out to me.

"Hey, are you lost? Are you okay?" She was yelling to me because, to her senses, I was rather far away. Yet, it would take less than a second for me to snap her neck. Alice's disapproving glare filled my head and then I could see Carlisle, his disappointment just as evident. It wasn't enough though. A moment later I was standing only a foot from her, the blood calling to me, wanting me to have it so I could quench the flames licking up my throat. I tensed up, ready to pounce before I caught sight of her expression.

All of a sudden it was my sister standing there, watching me fearfully. I jumped back, unwilling to hurt my baby sister. I watched as the tears began to fall from her eyes. I had frightened her. I backed up, the image in front of me flickering and fading until all I could see was the unknown girl once again. She was like an older version of Anabelle and I had seriously considered hurting her, killing her. Had she realized how close she had come to death? I whirled around and dashed back into the thick trees towards the cottage.

The world would be safe from me if I stayed there.

Alice and Jasper arrived home soon after I did. Alice looked extremely proud while Jasper just looked confused and worried. I received a hug from Alice and then she made me sit down so I could explain what had happened.

"She reminded me of Anabelle. I saw Anabelle and I ran. I never really rationalized anything before now but I also never really had a chance to consider that whoever I was trying to resist could be just like Anabelle, with a family and friends. Is that a good thing?" I think Alice wanted a bit more of an explanation than what I gave her but I knew she had what had happened in a vision so why would I bother recapping what she had already seen?

"You've made a lot of progress in the time we've been here. I'm not going to change my estimate but I think we should try to get you closer to town tomorrow. Okay?" I was a bit leery of leaving my cocoon of safety around the cottage but I knew this was the only way for me to really test myself and work through the scent that appealed to me so much.

xXx

Emmett had come to visit recently, spending some time with Alice and Jasper before finally acknowledging me. We wrestled and, of course, I won. I was still quite a bit stronger than Emmett for the time being. He spent a few more days with us after the match and I finally found myself enjoying his company. He even spent some time helping me with my basement renovations. It was much different, dealing with him when I knew I was stronger and more like him. He was a big guy but he was more like a teddy bear than a warrior when he wasn't around Bella. We parted as friends and I was much more comfortable around him than I thought I'd ever be.

It was after Emmett left that Alice sat me down and told me that we were moving into town for the duration of the year. She assured me that I was ready for this task and that everything would turn out just fine.

The move itself was fairly quick. Alice, of course, had to pack everything she brought along with anything she bought while we were here but Jasper still fit it all into the trunk. The drive wasn't very long and we pulled up to another small house in record time but this time our house was surrounded by several other houses leading into the center of town.

Alice told me to hold my breath before I stepped out of the car. She didn't want to chance anything before they could get the opportunity to test it safely. At least, once we were inside, they could hold me down to make sure I didn't go on a killing spree. It was hard to believe that I would actually do something of the sort but after seeing that girl in the woods and dealing with my reaction, it made more sense.

Holding my breath, or technically not breathing, was becoming a more common thing for me as I learned to live around human populations. I was learning to accept the fact that, though it went against my natural predator instinct, I could stop breathing for as long as I needed to and go about my day like any other normal individual. Unless I needed to speak, then I would have to breathe once again.

Alice didn't even allow me to finish unpacking all my things before she called me down to the kitchen. She wanted to test it out as soon as possible and I could tell Jasper agreed with her.

"Okay, Edward, we are going to hold you down and I want you to breathe in slowly and exhale. Then I want you to tell me what it dose to you when you breathe their scent in. Jasper will also help you identify what emotions go through you during our experiment." I nodded, unable to speak since I had run out of air almost as soon as I had stepped out of the car. I was quick to ignore the predator instinct which told me to fight like hell as they grabbed me to hold me down. My darker side did not like to be held down, it made him antsy.

"One... two..." she glanced up at Jasper before focusing back on me, "three." I smiled as I finally got the chance to open my mouth and breathe. The scents that hit me were like wrecking balls. It was a mixture of the dirt in human life, their diet, and their blood. I could hear it before, their heart beats, but as the scent invaded my senses I felt overwhelmed by the possibilities. All that blood, so close and so easy to get at, if I could just get away from Alice and Jasper. My body was tensing up and I could see Jasper start to moved to block off my air but Alice stopped him.

I could see her, that girl in the woods again, and I knew I didn't want to hurt her but she smelled so good. She would have tasted even better. Yet, I couldn't possibly hurt her, she was just the same as hurting my own flesh and blood. She was just like Anabelle. I breathed in again, forcing myself to associate the flames with my sisters fragile life. If I could keep all of them alive, then I could keep her alive as well.

Alice's grip loosened minutely, allowing me some wiggle room but there was no reason to try and get away. I could do this. It wouldn't be easy but the more I was around them, the easier it would become. I had to do this for Anabelle. It took a bit longer for Jasper to accept the fact that I was doing well but my overall emotional state seemed to convince him because he let go a moment after Alice did.

"You did it! You are now one step closer to where you want to be! Not that it will be any easier now. There is still a lot to do. You never really get over it entirely." I knew this already but I decided not to point this out to Alice. Fighting was not my favorite thing to do. I had been through enough with Bella and her gift to know that angering someone was not the best idea. Though Alice wasn't as easy to anger as Bella had been.

"Okay, so tell us what it feels like, what it felt like. How did you get through it?" Both Alice and Jasper sat down, though there was no need to. We never tired or needed to sit to be comfortable. I could stand forever and never think twice about it.

"Honestly, I don't know how I would do this if I didn't have Anabelle to think about. She means the world to me and the fact that I need to protect her and get her away from my parents only makes me want to try harder. Thinking of her and the fact that I can help her sooner if I desensitize myself is motivation enough. How did you guys manage to do this?"

"Well, I actually didn't hunt animals until I found Alice. I was created by a vampire named Maria and we drank human blood. That story is for a different time though. The only reason I was able to switch to animal blood after so much time spent on human blood was Alice. She gave me the strength to follow her in all things. She is my everything and I would do whatever it took be what she needed me to be." I was sure Alice was going to melt into a little Alice puddle at his words. I cleared my throat, hoping to avoid being forced to watch an impromptu make out session.

"I woke up knowing that I would end up with Carlisle and Esme. I also knew that they only drank animal blood. I had my share of slip ups when I first woke up. Being a newborn and being alone didn't exactly help but after a few years I was able to control my instincts and start hunting animals. Finding Jasper sealed the deal. Once we reached Carlisle and Esme, there was no going back and I wouldn't change the life I live for anything." What they said made sense. Both of them found strength in those they loved. They did what they did because they would do anything for each other. They were a family, along with Carlisle and Esme. It felt the same for me except this time my love and protect fell to my younger human sister, whom I would do anything for, even give up the sweet smelling liquid all around me.

xXx

Alice had told me earlier in the day that I would soon be given the chance to see Anabelle. The excitement I felt at that prospect was almost too much to bear. The past few hours, though it was much too sunny out to go outside, I had tried to distract myself with my latest home improvement project, construction a new dresser for my room. The one I had was pretty outdated and with all the clothes Alice tended to buy for Jasper and I, I needed more space.

She had warned me that soon could mean a year from now but it was better than not knowing at all if I would ever see her. She was so fragile as a human and I couldn't protect her if I wasn't around her. A year and a half and I was finally given some kind of reassurance that I would get to see my sister. Though Alice had yet to say anything about Bella, some good news was better than nothing. The only question that remained was if I would get to fix things with Bella before I saw my sister or if that would have to wait until after. It all depended on Alice and when she finally decided to tell me where Bella was living.

**Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Review and let me know!**

**peace & grace  
**


	13. Sleepwalker

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter 12:**** Sleepwalker**

"You know, there are only so many things you can do before you find yourself back at square one..." I had heard him approach but hadn't bothered stopping what I was doing. The noise of the saw wasn't a deterrence for me. I could have heard him over the machine even if he had been whispering.

"Not true. I could continue to find things I believe need to be done until Alice finally tells me what I want to know. It's not like it's that far off anyway."Jasper chuckled, taking a seat on the bench I had already made. The humor vanished rather quickly as his expression morphed into worry while he watched me work. Once I got through the piece of wood I turned off the saw and focused my attention on him.

"What's up?" Being direct was definitely the best route to take with Jasper. He shrugged and turned to look towards the house. I could hear Alice moving about as she gathered her things to leave for another shopping trip. I was truly amazed at the amount of money she spent in any given year. It was a good thing that she could see the stock trends otherwise Alice would be broke. We both waved as she drove away before Jasper finally turned back to me.

"I wanted to talk to you without Alice here. We need to talk about Anabelle and Bella." I smiled weakly and sat down next to Jasper, pleased that the bench withstood both our weights. At least I was good at the projects I was undertaking. Of course, that was all thanks to Esme.

"I know how excited you are at the prospect of seeing your sister but I can also sense the doubt behind all that excitement. She will remember you, Edward. You may look different but there are still things that ring true to who you were. Plus, if your emotions are any indication, she will be much better off with you than with your family. I also wanted to let you know about our lawyer, Jason Jenks. He is as much of a resource to you as he is to us. He can get you anything you need: passports, money, birth certificates, etcetera. I have already informed him of your relation to our family and he is at your disposal. He will ask no questions about the lack of aging and whatnot. He knows that we are an important client, the rest is overlooked. All of this, of course, is if you choose to live on your own once you reunite with Anabelle. Alice has seen it both ways so I wanted you to know either way." This was, mostly likely, the most I had ever heard Jasper say since I met him though my human memories are rather murky.

"Thank you. I will keep that in mind if the time comes that I need such services." I threw in a smile to soften my words. They sounded so formal, even to my own ears.

"Secondly, I would like to talk to you concerning Bella. I know Alice told you about her past and I know that you wish to correct things between the two of you but be careful. You don't know her the way we do and there are very few that know anything about the inner workings of Bella as it is. The only person who has a vague idea is Rosalie but I am sure that is because she is just as bitter and heartbroken about her fate as Bella is. They fit well together yet even Rosalie is afraid of her. She is powerful and you frighten her. I don't want to see you killed because you pushed too hard to fix something so deeply ingrained in her." His tone was so serious as he spoke and yet I didn't quite understand where he was coming from.

"I'm not trying to fix her. I just want her to know that I don't want to force her to do anything. I want her to be able to live her life with her family without fearing me. I want her to know that I will move out if that's what she wants, if that's what it takes for her to be comfortable in her own home. I did not agree to be changed so that I could run her out of her own home." The anger in my voice had surfaced halfway through what I was saying. I was angry at myself for what I was causing just by being me.

"You say you don't want to fix her but telling her that you don't want her to fear you is the same thing. You want her to change what is so deeply ingrained into her so that you don't have to feel guilty anymore. I'm not saying it's your fault. You cannot help who you are but you cannot change her fears just because you tell her to change them. Your anger isn't going to change anything, Edward. Being angry at yourself will only cause more problems when you finally find her. This is important. You need to know that just telling her isn't going to change anything. You have to get her trust you which is much easier said than done, especially with your gift." I hadn't thought about it that way but it made perfect sense.

How could I just assume that telling her not to be afraid would fix the problem? She had been promised things all her life and all those promises had been broken so what made me think that she would believe something I said?

"I was going to go hunting, any interest?" I nodded and we both stood to head out of town. My project could wait. I had a lot of thinking to do and the best time for thinking was when I was running as fast as I possibly could. The feeling I got when running was the closest I had ever been to peace and calm in my entire life, even as a human.

Jasper and I didn't stick together to hunt. We merely met up every few miles to chat about random topics before splitting off again towards one scent or another. After I had gotten my fill of blood, I took off in a full on sprint around Jasper's general location. As I ran I brought up everything Jasper had told me today.

There had to be a way to gain Bella's trust. I had the ability to control others but did I have the ability to control myself? I had never had an issue with controlling my gift but I had yet to be angry enough to use it without thinking. There were too many times with Bella, when I was human, that my anger would get the best of me and I would do something rash – like try to leave a house full of super fast vampires. So what guarantee did I have now that my anger wouldn't boil up again around her? She always brought out the most extreme emotions from me.

Did I do the same for her? Did she feel just as frustrated, just as confused, about the spark between us? There was no doubt that there was something pushing me towards her but there was so much about her that just pushed me over the edge. Where was the balance?

It seemed my choice of running was only bring about more questions than answers. I slowed down after a moment and then Jasper was joining me again. He looked amused as he ran beside me back towards the town.

"I wasn't sure you were ever going to stop running. You were starting create a dirt path where you were running." He chuckled, effectively pulling me out of my circling thoughts. I smiled, putting on a burst of speed to see if he could catch up. It wasn't until I reached the outskirts of the trees that I came to a complete stop only to find myself sprawling onto the dirt face first. It seemed Jasper was going to pin me down since I beat him at running. I twisted around quickly and grabbed him before rolling us over and trying to pin him down. He was faster at guessing what I was going to do because he flipped us back over and soon had my face smashed into the dirt again. Wrestling seemed to be Jaspers strong point, maybe even more so than Emmett. I kept my mouth firmly closed so that the dirt stayed out of my mouth.

He didn't pin me down for very long, counting to three and letting me go. He declared himself the winner before cracking up and falling to the ground next to my crouching form.

"I don't get it. Why are you laughing?" This was the most carefree and happy I had seen Jasper since I had met him. The only time he was remotely this off guard was when he was around Alice and even then it seemed as though he was constantly on he lookout for danger. He would protect her no matter what the cost. He pointed down to where my face had just been smashed into the dirt. I turned to look and snorted as I realized what he was seeing.

There, in the dirt, was the distinct impression of my face. The details were very clear, my eyes, my nose, my mouth, it was all there. I chuckled, the laughter bubbling up at how ridiculous the situation was. It was like being seventeen again, acting like I hadn't a care in the world. It felt fantastic to just laugh and not care what was about to happen next or when you would finally get to reunite with those who matter the most. My chuckles turned into full blown laughter as I tried to fill in the hole where my face was.

It took us another ten minutes to finally get up and head back into town. We were both still chuckling quietly as we entered the house to Alice's bouncing form.

"Did you boys have fun?" She grinned as she went rummaging through her spoils for the day to find what she had inevitably bought for us.

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that." I managed to get out before the chuckles took over again. Jasper gave her a peck on the cheek, a wide grin on his features.

"It's hard not to have fun with the happiness that's radiating off this kid right now. He is practically giddy with happiness just from all the laughter." Alice smiled in return before pushing Jasper back into a chair and handing him a new shirt to try on.

"It felt good to finally just laugh away all the stress of the past few years. It was like being 17 years old again and not giving a damn about anything but my own happiness. It just felt good." Jasper nodded in agreement before yanking the shirt on over his head. Alice seemed to approve because she clapped her hands together, kissed him, and then motioned for him to give it back. He was like her personal barbie. I snickered at that thought and they both looked at me in confusion. I shrugged and headed upstairs with my own bag of clothes from Alice. I was sure if she was given complete control that I would drown under all the clothes she bought.

"Hey, Edward, will you run to the store to return this for me?" I hadn't been upstairs very long and she was already sending me on an errand. I smiled and headed downstairs. Seeing the two of them only confirmed my suspicions. Alice was snuggled onto Jaspers lap with a coy grin. He had his arms around her and it was easy to see that they were sending me out for more than just returning some clothes. They wanted time alone.

"Sure, Alice, no problem. Have fun you two." Alice glared at me, her expression disapproving but I wasn't too worried about it. I was used to having to give them their space. They deserved their time together without me to interfere.

Luckily, she had left me the receipt and the address to the store since I was sure I had never been there. Though I didn't shop much so that made sense. It wasn't exactly light out or warm out but I didn't need either so it was pleasant for me. Most people were in their homes by now or heading home from work. It wasn't a huge town but there were enough people that the stores stayed open until about 10pm which was perfect since it was about 9 now. I had plenty of time to walk there.

The store itself was chic and modern. It practically screamed Alice and I glanced around quickly before heading to the register to return the items.

The woman behind the desk was ridiculously blond and winked at me as she told me her name. I knew I should have wanted to talk to her and maybe get a phone number but the way she looked at me disgusted me more so than actually turned me on, which I think was her goal. I hoped she moved quickly because I didn't want to deal with her for any longer than I had to. She practically told me her life story as I stood at the counter and before she finally pulled out the clothes.

"Oh, did you buy these for your girlfriend?" I chuckled humorlessly, cursing Alice for sending me here to talk to this girl.

"Uh, no. A friend bought them and asked me to return them because they didn't fit her. I have a few errands I need to get done so could you go a little faster, please?" I threw in the 'please' just for good measure but I could see she was a bit put out by the sharp tone of my voice. I wasn't exactly in the mood to be polite She sped up the process just a tiny bit but continued to talk to me and ask me about my personal life until she finally handed me the revised receipt. I sighed in relief as I finally stepped out of the store and into the cool night air.

The smell of perfume had been almost too much towards the end and I was sure I would never return to that store again. I smiled as I caught sight of the small park across the street and I walked over, deciding to give Alice and Jasper a bit more time. It wasn't like I had to be at the house for any particular reason.

I knew what I wanted to do just as I got there. The sight of the swings moving slowly in the wind caught my attention and I made my way over. The chains protested loudly as I lowered myself onto the seat and pushed myself back to start swinging. I had taken Anabelle to the park so many times and, though it was fuzzy, I knew those were probably my best memories growing up the past few years with my baby sister.

I could feel the wind against my face but it wasn't cold, just comfortable, almost warm compared to my cold skin. The park was dark and empty as I swung back and forth. The memories were more vivid than they had ever been as I replayed them I my head. I could see her tiny smiling face as I pushed her higher in the child swing. She would squeal if I pushed her too high and then laugh. She was always so happy when we were out of the house. I couldn't wait to see her again.

I froze, my legs stopping their movement, and my head snapping up to look around. I could smell her, close enough that I should have been able to see her. After a moment I continued to swing but my thoughts had focused on one thing and one thing only. There was another vampire here with me. I kept an eye out as I swung and after a few moments I finally saw them, a small twitch behind a tree about 40 yards away. I knew they wouldn't have done it if they didn't want me to see them. They would come out in the open soon. I wanted, anticipating and excited. This was about to get interesting. I watched as the female figure stepped out from behind the tree and face me.

Her steps were slow and deliberate as she made her way towards me. I didn't stop swinging, knowing it would be better not to scare her off. When she was about 10 yards away, she stopped.

"I've been waiting for you, Bella. Can we talk?"

**Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Review and let me know! :)**

**peace & grace  
**


	14. Changing Faces

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight.**

**I know this chapter is a few days late... I have been crazy busy these past few weeks but I finally finished the chapter. I hope you all can forgive me. :)  
**

**Chapter 13:**** Changing Faces**

"Like I even have a _choice_." She spat back, her tone venomous as she glared at me. Now that I knew why she was staying away, it was easy to spot her nerves and fear as she stood near me. I knew this was going to be difficult but if she bolted I wasn't sure I would ever get another chance. I sighed and looked away from her. I was leaving myself vulnerable, going against the instincts inside of me telling me not to let her out of my sight.

"You always have a choice... in all things." She shifted, clearly surprised. I looked back towards her, hoping she could see the honesty in my open expression.

"And if I choose to leave...?" She inquired, her body still tensed and ready to run. I needed her to relax so we could talk but I certainly wasn't going to force her into anything. That would only make this impossible and she would never speak to me again.

"You are, of course, free to do as you please." She huffed and lowered her eyes to the ground. She hadn't expected me to say that. Why did she suddenly believe that I was a monster? She had put me through a lot, it was true, but there was a lot I didn't understand at the time that I understood now. There had been outside forces that had pushed them to hide me away and if they hadn't I'd be dead. At least I knew I didn't want that, no matter how bad things got.

"Five minutes. Now talk." She ordered, her posture never quite relaxing. She didn't come any closer and I stayed where I was in effort to keep her comfortable with the situation.

"Isabella, I never intended to force you out of your own home. I know why you left and I know it has to do with me. I want you to be happy and feel safe with your family. So I would like to offer a solution. I can either move out and live with Anabelle on my own or I can convince you to come back and, on my word, I will never force you to do anything against your will. I would like to ask that if you choose the first, you still allow your family to see me. I have grown to be good friend with most of them. Of course, it is up to you. All of these are merely requests." I watched her as I spoke, hoping for some change in demeanor. Even if she didn't allow me to stay with the Cullens, I wanted to at least know she didn't hate me, but there was no change. She didn't seem as tense and I could see the anger had faded but I knew what the answer was as soon as she lifted her eyes.

"I choose the first option. You are welcome to see any of the family but they have to come to you. Okay?" I smiled, glad she had even thought to ask my opinion.

"Okay. Goodbye, Isabella." I refused to look at her as I left, knowing I wouldn't be able to leave if I did. I checked my surroundings and ran back to Alice and Jasper in the darkness. I could hear them in the kitchen talking about their plans for when I left. Alice must have known this was coming. I sat down next to Jasper and he patted my back in greeting before leaning back again. Alice smiled, but it wasn't her normal, bubbly expression.

"I'm going to miss you," She stated as she sat across from me. Jasper nodded in agreement. I had spent the past two years with them, almost constantly. Alice was the closest friend I had now with Jasper and Esme in close second. I felt a pang of something as I considered the day I truly had to leave them. I wasn't even sure when that would be but if Alice was getting emotional over my departure, it must be soon.

"You can come visit anytime. Of course, you must be careful around Anabelle. I don't want her getting hurt or in danger from my own family." I knew I could trust them but it was important they knew that Anabelle's safety came above all else. She deserved a happy, human life; one that was uncomplicated by ultimatums and forced decisions. I wanted my little sister to be happy. I watched as Alice pulled up a bag of items, books it looked like, and set them on the table.

"These are for when you go to gain custody of Anabelle. They are law books and how-to books on being a lawyer. They will go through the process of gaining custody. If you do not wish to do that you can hire a lawyer. You have plenty of money." I quirked an eyebrow in her direction. I had money? I didn't even have a steady job... where was I getting money from? Jasper spoke up.

"I am already in contact with our lawyer. He will make up a driver's license, passport, birth certificate, and social security card for you before you leave. We also have a credit card for you. The name on it is Edward Cullen. You are a part of this family, whether you live with us or not. Our money is yours as well. There will be records of your 'name change'. He can also set you up with a "job" so that when you go to take custody of Anabelle, you can show that you have a steady income. Not that you'll need it. It will technically be fake. Unless you want a real job?" They had thought of everything. I hadn't even thought of all the things I'd need to actually live on my own, let alone take care of Anabelle. What I did know was that my career choice was already made. I wanted to work in designing and building homes. Could I do that without a degree?

"I'd like to have a real job designing and building houses. Do I need a degree for that?" Jasper chuckled and shook his head 'no'.

"We can have one made for you with all the appropriate transcripts and records so you can get the job. After that you can go back and actually get the degree. Just make sure you know what you're doing. Building a house that collapses won't do you any good. It will only cost you money." Alice took over from there.

"You will leave in three weeks time to go see your sister. Your parents live in the same house. It is up to you how you want to travel. Know that when there is sunlight you have to be indoors. So traveling by foot isn't exactly convenient. Would you like to buy a car?" She wasn't actually offering to buy me a car... was she? I was not doing so well on understanding the whole money situation. They were saying it was mine and yet I had done nothing to earn it. I wanted to be able to earn and spend my own money.

"I suppose so but I will pay you back once I get my job." Alice just rolled her eyes and stepped away from the table. Jasper followed suit and moved to stand by his wife. I didn't move, instead choosing to wait for them to go upstairs before turning out the light and sitting back down.

I didn't mind spending my time in the dark seeing as I was a 'creature of the night' as the myths suggested. It's not as if they were entirely wrong. It didn't take long for me to decide to grab the books on the table and start reading. It was rather complicated but it wasn't too much to handle. My brain cold handle a lot at this point. There were only a few things where I would ask myself why that was supposed to happen and I would not receive I sufficient answer. Of course, in this case I could just google it or find someone who could tell me the answer. The question became, would these books be enough to gain custody of Anabelle?

I wanted to say yes but I had no idea how those kinds of things worked and I wouldn't know until I went through it. What would I do if I couldn't gain custody of Anabelle? What if she didn't want to be taken away from home? I would be left alone to wander as I so chose. Was that what I really wanted?

The answer was 'no' but I didn't necessarily have a choice. What could I do if she refused to leave or didn't want to stay with me? I would work and have visitors when they so chose to come and see me. At least I had part of a family to belong to if my own flesh and blood wished to stay with our parents.

I spent the night reading the first two books, taking my time though I wasn't sure if it would help any. All I knew was, if I were to take my parents to court, I would need to know these things better than any lawyer they chose to represent them. Alice and Jasper did not return to the first floor the next day but I could hear them talking upstairs for the entire day. They had a few elaborate plans, a kind of 6th honeymoon was being planned. They had been together for quite some time and I found myself wishing I could have something like that within my own eternity.

I knew I didn't have that choice though. With my gift I had a responsibility to let others make the choices concerning me. I did not want to force anyone into anything, unless it was to protect my family, blood related or not.

"Edward, you should pack. Unless you'd like me to buy you a whole new wardrobe... you know I would love to." The sun had set again behind the clouds and below the horizon. I had just finished the second to last book and was reaching for the next one. She was right though. I had an entire week to continue to study up on what my most challenging task so far would be like. I stood, glad that the human feeling of stiffness from being still for too long no longer applied to me. It didn't feel any different sitting perfectly still and running around as fast as I could. The only real change were the feelings that came with them. My physical body felt no difference, no exhaustion, nothing.

I spent the night packing, picking out the things I might need and discarding the items I didn't want to lug along with me. I could carry them but it would look awfully odd to any onlookers if I was casually carrying a bag that was bigger and obviously heavier than I was. The sad thing was, almost three quarters of the wardrobe Alice bought me would be staying in the house. I had no need for so much clothing and I didn't really understand her need for it either. Maybe I'd ask her some day.

The next day was spent looking up rental costs until Alice burst into my room begging me to just get a car so I didn't have to worry about getting around the town once I got there. She wanted me to start looking for a place to stay, which I hadn't even thought about yet. Where would I live so Anabelle could have a place to stay? At least someone was thinking of the details, even if it wasn't me.

Before I could actually start to look at houses though, I was dragged away from the computer to find a car. Both Alice and Jasper joined me though I doubted they would help much. I was sure all they wanted was to make sure I picked a good car. I immediately wished I had my car from back home. It had been falling apart but it got me from point A to point B most of the time. Of course, it hadn't done so that fateful day when I'd been kidnapped. It was probably just sentimental value, something I recalled from my human life that no longer really belonged in my life now. My parents had probably sold it by this point anyway.

We drove to the dealer since it was rather far to walk and we couldn't exactly run there in the the day time with so many people around. I hadn't realized where we were going until Jasper parked the car and I read the sign on the building. We were at an Audi dealership and I could already tell that Alice wasn't even glancing at the cars in the lot. She wanted to move inside and look at the cars they didn't show you unless you asked to see them. The cars they encased in glass because they were so expensive.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. The money was an issue but I could pay them back eventually. I knew once I saw it, I would do anything to have it. Even borrow money, though they still claimed it was my money as well.

We seemed to make a rather grand entrance since anyone in the dealership stopped to watched us walk in. Some of the sales clergy that were unoccupied moved to help us but Alice breezed on by, heading straight for the back of the dealer, towards the offices. She was going to talk to the top dog in this dealership. I didn't even know you could do that directly. I heard a few weak protests as we moved as one towards the back office but they died off quickly as we disappeared from sight.

Alice didn't even have to knock when the door was thrown open and the man himself stepped out in his snazzy business suit, a fake smiled plastered on his face.

"Ah, yes, Miss. Alice. It is so good to see you again. What can I do for you today?" I could tell Jasper bristled at the casual use of Alice's name but it was obviously Alice running the show and she seemed to prefer the casual demeanor.

"Mr. Folska, it's good to see you again as well. I'm sorry I failed to make an appointment but it was rather urgent. We need to buy my brother, Edward, a car. A nice one, preferably. Can you help us please? We need it to arrive here in two weeks time." Mr. Folska's smile moved from fake to radiant as Alice spoke of buying a car, and by the sound of it, an expensive car.

"Your timing is impeccable, as always, Miss. Alice. I just got off a conference call with my boss at headquarters. Yet, for you, Miss. Alice, an appointment is never necessary. You are welcome here any time you like. Now, shall we move to the back room and take a look?" He led us down the hall without waiting for an answer, ignoring the stares as he passed. It was not normal around here for the boss to cater to patrons. We were assumed to be very important and I could see the looks of awe and concentration as some of them tried to figure out where we were from that made us so important.

The privacy of the back room was appreciated as the stares were finally cut off by the closing of the door as we entered the hallway behind the main show room. A moment later Mr. Folska was sliding a key into a side door and holding it open for the three of us. It was a fairly large room, though not as large as the main room, and it held some of the coolest cars I had ever laid eyes on.

"Do you see something to your liking, Mr..." He trailed off, waiting to see if I would go for formal or casual.

"Cullen," my tone was firm and serious as I held out my hand. I met his gaze head on and I could almost feel him shake as he looked back. We were intimidating individuals when we wanted to be. Jasper smiled, clearly pleased that I was keeping things a bit more formal.

"Well, Mr. Cullen, shall we take a look around?" I smiled and shook my head no. His eyes widened as he watched us. I was sure he thought I had decided this was not the dealership for me. His fear and desperation were almost palpable.

"I already know which one I want." He relaxed, the small sigh audible to my sensitive ears. I walked over to the car that had caught my eye the moment we walked in. It was an Audi R8 and I knew I could customize it which ever way I wanted considering what I would pay for it.

"Mr. Folska, walk me through the steps to customize my options and buy this car, please." He scrambled to grab the handheld device that would allow him to give me an estimate and place my order. I looked towards Alice and she smiled, happy with my choice no doubt. I held out my hand and he gave me the device, no question asked. I knew what I wanted this car to look like and silver was not the color I was going for. I handed the device back to him once I was done going through paint color, interior design, rims, and a few other added bonuses.

"Is this everything, Mr. Cullen?" I nodded, keeping my eyes on the car, visualizing it with it's changes. It would be a fantastic car.

"I am just going to go over it out loud so you can confirm. You would like the Audi R8 FSI with six-speed R tronic transmission and quattro. The options you chose total to $4,965 and the destination charge will be $1,250. The total for your car comes to $162,815. Is this correct, Mr. Cullen?" I nodded again and he smiled, pushing a few buttons to finish things up. I reached into my pocket, pulled out my wallet and handed him the sleek black credit card that the Cullens had so kindly provided for me. He didn't seem surprised at the card but I could see the care he took with it. The card only added to our importance.

"Here is your card, Mr. Cullen, along with your receipt. The rest of the papers are printing out in my office for you to sign. Would you like to discuss shipping options in my office?" I nodded and we followed him out into the main room again. We reached his office in no time and after about twenty minutes we were leaving with all the papers and information we needed.

Though it cost more, since the car was not technically available in the United States, we got the shipping details down quickly and it would be delivered to our door in a week. I would then have time to get to know my new car and possibly test out it's speed capabilities.

The rest of the day was spent working on a railing that I had accidently broken in our haste to get out the door earlier. It could have taken half the time but I didn't want to be left with nothing to do until the next day when we would start to look into housing. Alice had already offered me places to stay but I had yet to see them and she had decided to show me tomorrow.

That morning I watched as the sun rose over the horizon and realized that Alice had known this would happen. She wanted to have something to do for the time that the sun was up. About two hours after the sun had risen she came bounding down the stairs with a laptop in her hands.

"Okay! Time to find you and your sister a place to live. I have all sorts of houses and apartments. Did you have a preference on where you lived or no?" She slid into the seat next to me and set the computer down in front of me.

"Honestly, no. I want whatever will get Anabelle away from my parents." Alice nodded and pulled up a folder with a long list of more folders in it. They were listed by categories of location.

"I assume you want to stay in the United States?" I nodded and she clicked on the United States file. Then I was presented with a list of state folders. She turned to look at me and looked through the list.

"Can I look at the one's in Pennsylvania?" I knew Anabelle loved the snow but she loved being warm. I was pretty sure if it could be warm and snow somewhere, Anabelle would be in heaven.

I watched as Alice clicked on the folder and opened up three pictures, placing them side by side. One was a large home, obviously made for the entire Cullen family. One of the the pictures was of an apartment, a very nice apartment, which I was sure held plenty of space. Then there was a smaller cottage that seemed to be made for two or three people. I pointed at that one and she exited out of the others.

"This cottage is in the town of New Castle, Pennsylvania. It's more on the outskirts of the town, as most of our houses are, but you could drive Anabelle to school each day if you so chose. It has three bedrooms upstairs, two bathrooms upstairs, a kitchen, family room, back yard area, one bathroom on the main floor, a dining room, and a finished basement with plenty of room to run around. It is fully furnished, as most of our houses are. Sound good?" It sounded perfect.

"This will be perfect for Anabelle and I. Is there a garage near the house?" Alice chuckled, finding my question entertaining. I didn't quite understand.

"Edward, the entire family has nice cars and we definitely love our cars. Of course we have a garage, at all the houses and apartments. We wouldn't leave those kinds of cars to the elements." She chuckled again and shook her head. I shoved her playfully but she had already seen it coming and just laughed harder. I leaned back from the computer and just glared at her for a moment before I finally let it go.

"I'm going to miss hanging out with you and Jasper. What happens if Anabelle refuses to live with me? What if she wants to stay with my parents for some reason? I can't make her leave. I will be alone. I can't live with you anymore, not with the compromise I made with Bella." I looked down at the floor, uncomfortable with the honesty in my voice. That was my biggest fear, that Anabelle wouldn't recognize me thus choosing to stay at home. How could she recognize me with the changes I'd gone through. My whole world had changed in the past two and half years. Had hers changed at all?

"We wont leave you alone, Edward. Not unless you ask us to. We are all entitled to our time alone but if you need us or want to spend time with us we are only a phone call away. Our family doesn't always live together. Every couple decades we split up and try life with just our partners, or in Bellas case, alone. We can live with you for a time or visit whenever we choose. I don't think Anabelle will refuse you though. I can't see her since I don't know who she is but with all your talk of Anabelle, how could she forget you or refuse your offer?" She was right about that. My sister and I had been close. I had been her guardian but she had been young. She still was young. She was about seven years old now and things change as you grow. She hadn't seen me in all that time.

Did she even ask about me anymore? I could feel the tendrils of calm sweep over me, calming my thoughts back down and helping me focus on the positive. I silently thanked Jasper for his help.

"Come on, let's find a law seminar for you or something, to fill your time until you leave. It will help when you go back to your parents house." I leaned forward, engaging myself in Alice's conversation and forcing myself away from the swirling thoughts about my sister. Worrying about it all before hand was only going to make it all that much harder when I arrived.

**Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Review and let me know!**

**peace & grace  
**


	15. Anabelle

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

**And so the scene is set... I'm so excited for ya'll to meet little Anabelle! :)  
**

**Chapter 14:**** Anabelle**

Traveling was a lonely affair, especially since I wasn't used to doing it alone anymore. I had spent the past two and a half years being surrounded by people. The time alone was nice for a little while but after an hour or two I was wishing that Alice were with me to chatter my ear off. At least if they were around I wouldn't have to spend all my time worrying about if Anabelle would recognize me or not.

Sadly, my new car, though exciting, had only distracted me for a few minutes until I was back to worrying again. It had arrived in mint condition and the way it handled was absolutely amazing. I had never had the chance to drive a car quite like this one before. Plus, at the speeds I could get it to go, I would be arriving in my home town in about an hour. The sun wouldn't be up for another three hours but I would have to wait and see if the cloud cover would be enough for me to be outside for the day, to finally see Anabelle.

I felt a vibration start in my pocket and I pulled out my phone quickly, surprised that someone was calling me.

"Edward, we discussed this. There will be enough cloud cover to go out so don't you dare hide yourself in the apartment and do nothing all day. I picked today for a reason. Meet her at her school. She usually walks home." I sighed and shook my head. Of course, Alice would know the instant I thought about hiding out for the day.

"Okay, okay. I will be at the school. I'm getting off the highway soon anyway. What are you and Jasper up to?" There was a long pause before she finally answered.

"Well, we are actually trying to do damage control right now..." That didn't sound good. I took a deep breath, though it wasn't exactly necessary, and relaxed my grip on my phone. I didn't want to break it.

"Alice, what happened? Is everyone okay?" She chuckled but it was humorless. I still was catching on. What could have possibly happened? I'd only left a day ago.

"We should be okay if Bella calms down some time soon. She is so tense. The slightest sound and she is attacking people. She may have literally gone insane this time. I don't understand why she is so jumpy. You aren't around and you promised her that you would not intrude upon her life. I know she has trust issues but her current state is only making everything so much harder. It's like she's reverted back to when we first met her. She was the same way right after she escaped from the Volturi." Alice heaved a sigh and whispered something to someone in the room with her about needing her to be calmer. I heard Jasper respond, his tone strained and frustrated. What had I left for them to deal with?

"I'm sorry, Alice. I wish I could help but my presence would only make it all worse. I was the one who made her like this again." I was pulling up the apartment and into the garage for the car. I was careful to lock it and cover it before heading into the apartment to wait for Anabelle to actually leave for school. I had at least an hour before she woke up and another seven before she got out of school.

"I actually think there is more to it. Jasper tells me that Bella is feeling an intense amount of guilt which is currently warring with an ungodly amount of fear towards you. She didn't want to force you out of the house either but she can't control the fear that was pretty much ingrained in her since she was created. I recommended therapy but at the mere mention of it she freaked out and tried to kill me. Jasper stopped her and kicked her out for the rest of the day. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before. Of course, there aren't many who have tried to kill me and if they have, they are dead. Yet, it's not like he can kill Bella. Well, he could, but I don't want him to so he wont." I could hear Jasper grumbling in the back round. He didn't seem pleased with her decision but he would stick by it.

"Well, you two certainly have had your hands full. I wish things were that exciting for me. Being alone is not helping the nerves or the planning of what to say and how to convince her of who I am." I sunk down onto the couch in the living room and threw my arm over my eyes. How I wished I could just nap for a few hours and make the time pass in the dream world. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option for me.

"Edward, you're still you and she knows that. You were a part of her life, no matter how young she was and you were her protector. How could she forget?" The human mind was a funny thing. I should know. My human memories were fuzzy and unclear, like I'd had a film over my eyes the entire time. Our memories were fleeting and I when we were little it was difficult to remember anything. The way I looked now was different and I couldn't be sure that she would even recognize me. I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the conversation.

"Well, either way, I have no idea what to do for the next seven hours. It's not like I can just call up my old friends and ask them to hang out. I went missing and no one knew where I was. If I reappear now, what will they do. Plus, I look so different. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining or anything. At least my family and I are all alive in one way or another." I was surprised Alice hadn't interrupted me in any way as I spoke. She was very opinionated when it came to my frustrations and insecurities.

"Maybe it would be best if you went to visit a client for a few hours. That will definitely give you something to do and it will make your job much more real for you and for the court." It wasn't a bad idea. I knew exactly where to find it, too. It was packed away in the boxes I'd brought with me, the bottom box in the back seat of the car.

"You are a genius. I have to go unpack and then I'm going to go to work. I'm not going to lie, I never thought saying that would make me feel cool but it just did. Who would have thought getting a job could be exciting?" Both Alice and Jasper laughed at my excitement. It was true though. This would give me something to do for all the time Anabelle was in school, should she choose to live with me.

"Bye, Edward. We will come see you soon." I agreed and hung up so I could start unpacking. It only took about an hour to get everything unpacked and put away. I didn't have much but I forced myself to take my time and organize so I wouldn't have to do it later. As soon as I had packed everything away, I grabbed my client list, which Alice had created for me, and set about calling them to introduce myself and make an appointment for each one. I made sure to call those within the area and the clients in New Castle. I had only one client that agreed to meet today. At least that was better than nothing.

The drive was a quick one since she lived right by the school but the temptation to find my sister was become a force to battle with. It was almost noon by that time and I was to pick up Anabelle in a few hours.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cambra. My name is Edward Cullen. How are you today?" She was an elderly woman, which I had gathered over the phone, but I had not expected to recognize her. I had not recognized her name but as she invited me in and sat down I knew I had met her when I'd lived here.

"You look familiar, son. Not the right last name but I knew an Edward just like you. Such a shame he disappeared a few years back. Devastated Anabelle, that poor dear. I try to invite her over for cookies and milk when I can to get her out of her house. I've never met such a shy little girl." The rush of emotion I felt as Mrs. Cambra discussed Anabelle's deteriorated condition had me tense and anxious, wishing three o'clock would arrive a bit quicker.

"Mrs. Cambra. I know I look different but I am that same boy, just grown up. I changed my last name while living with a different family." Her squinty eyes focused on me again but her stare didn't really make me uncomfortable. I was getting used to being stared at since I was so different. My imperfections with the human facade tended to put people on edge. I was still learning the best ways to do things around humans. She relaxed and leaned back.

"Well I'll be darned, it is you. Look how grown up you are." I smiled. I suppose I had grown up a bit since I'd been taken that fateful day. She frowned, clearly having realized something that didn't seem right to her. I sighed and looked away.

"Why did you leave, boy? Why are you back now?" Well that was not what I had been expecting. I turned to look at her.

"I had no choice in my departure. That is about the best I can explain it. I am back to take away my parents custody of Anabelle. They have no right to be in custody of her." She shook her head, clucking her tongue disapprovingly.

"Of course they have the right. Anabelle is their daughter. What you should say is that they are unfit to remain in custody of Anabelle, if that is what you believe." I nodded and leaned forward. She was right, my words had been a slip of the tongue but I wanted to get down to business.

"You are correct. Now, Mrs. Cambra, would you like to discuss your plans for the house?" I pulled out my notes from our phone conversation and my pen before focusing on her again.

"Please, call me Penelope. Now, I called your secretary in hopes of getting an addition to the house. My son is moving back in but I don't have room for him in the main house so I wanted to build him a room out back, with a bit more privacy for him. He is already embarrassed that he has to move back in with his 82 year old mother. Can you do that for me?" It wouldn't be hard. I could start on the paper work today and after that went through the building could begin. I knew I should do it with a crew but I didn't think it would matter that much since I wasn't sticking around that long anyway.

Penelope took me outside and explained what she wanted in more detail before I had her sit down and relax while I counted out the different measurements of what she was asking for. I could visualize what she wanted and it would be a fun project, a bit like completing the gazebo with Esme. It didn't take long before I had a rough sketch for her approve and I was saying my goodbyes. I had her sign a few forms and then I was out the door.

It was almost 2:45 and Anabelle would be out of school in a few minutes. I parked along the route she would most likely take to get home and started walking towards the school. As soon as I arrived at the school, the bell rang and a flood of students exited the elementary school. I could feel the worry mounting as I realized that I hadn't seen Anabelle yet and the crowds were beginning to thin. Had I missed her somehow?

Almost all the parents, teachers, and students had exited the schools premise's when I finally felt a spark of hope. Out the front doors walked my little sister, alone. She looked so sad and I could see that she'd been crying. What had happened to the happy-go-lucky little girl I'd known? Had my departure really done this to her?

"Anabelle!" I called out to her and her head snapped up, confusion clear in her eyes. I watched as she caught and steadied herself as she almost fell at the bottom of the stairs. She was still so young. I waved and took a step forward. I waited as she studied me, trying to figure out who I was.

"Ann Bell, you remember me, don't you?" The nickname rang as familiar, her eyes lighting up as she studied me anew. My little sister remembered the silly shortening of her name that we'd created.

"Edward?" I nodded, she watched me for a second more before laughing loudly, the sadness vanishing, and racing towards me. I caught her hurtling body and swung her around in my arms before setting her down and crouching beside her.

"Miss you." I smiled and hugged her again.

"I missed you too, Ann Bell. How was school?" She shrugged, her body language shifted to something more guarded as she considered telling me about her day. I took her hand in mine and we began to walk towards my car and home.

"It was... bad." I wasn't sure if she could elaborate or not but I wished I knew why it was bad. Was she doing well in school? Or was it bad all the time?

"What made it bad, Ann Bell?" The concern in my tone was obvious and she squeeze my hand to comfort me. My baby sister was trying to comfort _me _when all I wanted to do was help her.

"The girls were mean to me." I sighed and stopped walking.

"Ann Bell, can I ask you a question?" She stopped, a confused expression crossing her face.

"Yeah." I crouched down beside her so I was on her level. I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.

"How are mom and dad?" She was staring at the ground at this point and I immediately wanted to hug her. She looked so forlorn and lost as I awaited her answer.

"Home is... bad." I sighed, knowing this was to be expected yet it was still hard to hear. I had spent so much time protecting her and for the past two years I had left her to fend for herself. _At least she's alive because you left, would you rather she be dead?_

"What if I told you that you could come live with me in a new house and a new school, away from all the bad? We can make new friends." This was where it all mattered. Would she want to come with me and get away from anything she's ever known?

"Really?" I nodded and her whole face lit up in joy. I could recall the random times where I'd seen her so happy before and seeing it now did wonders.

"Can we bring all my toys?" I chuckled. She was adorable and I was so happy that she actually wanted to come with me. I glanced at my watch and sighed. She would be expected home soon.

"Sure, Ann Bell. You should run home now though. Are mom and dad waiting for you?" She shook her head 'no' and I froze. They didn't leave her home alone everyday, did they?

"Is there anyone home after school to see you?" She shook her head 'no' again. I straightened up and took her hand again. That was unacceptable.

"Okay, Ann Bell. We are going to stop at home and grab some stuff. You can come stay with me for today, okay?" I already had my phone out as I watched my sister skip along beside me happily. At least I had made her happy. Now I had to deal with my parents, immediately. Their behavior was unacceptable. Leaving a seven year old child at home alone was not good parenting.

It didn't take long for me to set up the car seat in the back for her. She wasn't tall enough not to have one and call the Cullens lawyer. I needed some advice.

"Mr. Jenks? This is Edward Cullen. I need some advice. If I want to have temporary custody of my sister before the trial and I want to do so right this instant, what steps do I take?"

**Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Review and let know! :)**

**peace & grace  
**


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